The Rogue
by Wraith002
Summary: After facing horrors and revelations that turned his world upside down, the Point Man fled from everything he had known while being hunted by the remnants of Armacham. Followed by a powerful and sinister force beyond comprehension, he takes asylum in a place where he will learn to fight for a better cause. But can he save his new allies from a past that will never truly die? AU
1. Interval 00 - Rogue

A/N: I gotta say, it's good to be back writing RWBY fics again. After deciding to put my other story, Symbiosis, on hiatus so it can be rewritten a bit I thought I'd try something no one has ever thought of before. The harbinger that will open a new category for the RWBY fanbase here on the site.

I know that some will think this might be a lost cause, and maybe it is. But you never know until you give it a shot. And I'm taking a hell of a leap here. There is a lot of both canon stories that'll have to be rewritten and modified so that they both can fit together in just the right way. Along with character development and future scenarios that readers like you won't be expecting. But I plan to deliver in whatever capacity that I can and make sure that you're all entertained, and if I'm lucky enough, shock and awed.

I own neither franchise.

 ** _( "What is needed, rather than running away, or controlling, or suppressing, or any other resistance, is understanding fear; that means, watch it, learn about it, come directly into contact with it. We are to learn about fear, not how to escape from it." - Jiddu Krishnamurti )_**

 _"Give me back my baby!"_

 _"You will be a god among men."_

 _"NO!"_

 _"I heard your a bad motherfucker, for a kid. I hope it's true."_

 _"Kill them..."_

 _"You still don't know, do you? What you are? Why you're here? What's the first thing you remember? What's your given name? Where were you born? You have no history."_

 _"Kill them..."_

 _"Oh god no! Help me! NO!"_

 _"Kill them..."_

 _"You and I were born from the same mother."_

 _"KILL THEM ALL!"_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **...**_

 _ **"I Know who you are...my baby."**_

Dull grey eyes snapped open before the one they were attached to sprung up from the bed. Pistol in hand that slowly swept the room from one corner to the last as they searched for something that wasn't seen.

But that didn't mean that nothing was there. Not to him. Not anymore.

When he was satisfied that nothing was within his line of sight, he lowered the sidearm and flicked the safety on before getting out of the bed. Making his way over to the connected bathroom of the small motel room and flicking the light on.

Blinking away the brightness a moment, he stood at the sink of the closet sized room and splashed cold water on his face before looking at his reflection in the mirror.

His pale, angular face looked back at him. Black, shaggy hair sticking to his forehead with sweat and water as he stood in just a pair of old jeans and socks. His upper half had half a dozen scars on it in several places, some made by bullets given their size and shape.

The memories hadn't stopped. Even after all this time they plagued him every night when he slept and even at times during the day. The dark-purple lines under his eyes being proof of this as he tried to get his head back in order again.

He had always wondered about his past, a history that had forever been lost to him without any sort of reason. He never even had recollection of a name, first or last.

All he had remembered was his time served in the Atlas military from the time he was 13. And in four years he had proven to be not only an asset, but an incredibly skilled soldier that was held in high regard.

His unique semblance had granted him the nickname 'Wraith', his reflexes so fast that he was a blur to those attacking him before he cut them down with surgical-like precision.

These skills, and his prowess in the field granted him a transfer to FEAR. A special ops group that was known to take on jobs that certain military branches, and some huntsmen, were unable to take.

The name stood for First Encounter Assault and Recon and they were given assignments that many would have considered suicidal. Be it taking down terrorist organizations, or dealing with high-class Grimm species that threaten a populace. Many had referred to them as mercenaries, while others called them a Black Ops Hunter group, either way, it was their job to protect the people of Remnant by any means.

At first, his new team had been skeptical given his age. But after one assignment he had proven that he lived up to the name he had been given by his comrades. A name that he used as his own given the lack of one.

And then...one mission changed everything he had ever known.

A week after their first mission, his team had been contacted about an event that needed to be looked into. The Armacham Technology Corporation, a small branch of the Schnee Dust Corporation, the largest refinery of Dust, weapons and technology on the planet, had contacted FEAR with a situation that needed to be contained quickly.

A madman by the name of Paxton Fettel had taken control of an ATC building with the use of cloned soldiers called Replicas that had been made by the company.

The ATC had started creating the soldiers to assist in the Atlas military to cut down on the construction of Atlatian Knights, and they could only be controlled by a commander that possessed a unique semblance known as Psionics which could grant them a telepathic link to the clone soldiers.

Fettel was one of the rare few that had this semblance and used it to gain control of the Replica Army and used them for his own agenda. Killing almost everyone in the building which prompted FEAR to step in with the aid of several squads of Atlatian soldiers.

From the point of infiltration, Wraith had fought through squad after squad of Replica soldiers. His skills and semblance giving him the edge he needed to take out his oppostion quickly and effectively as they all hunted their target.

But it had been the tip of the spear compared to what came next. The team came under attack by strange and even deadly paranormal phenomena, including debilitating hallucinations that were all centered around a little girl in a red dress who seemed to be following Wraith everywhere he went. Slaughtering his comrades left and right as he barely made it away with his life each time.

Despite the resistance, and the horrors that lurked around every corner, Wraith kept pushing on. Trying to find clues to what was happening and how Fettel could be involved with it all. The mission leading the remnants of the FEAR team to the ATC headquarters in the small city of Fairport, located just outside of Vacuo.

In his journey, he and the others learned more about Fettel. It turned out that their target was sixteen, and had been raised to be a commander by an ATC project called Project: Origin. Born from a woman with a psionic semblance that was unmatched by anyone by the name of Alma Wade where he had gained his own abilities. And that also, she had another son that had been born before Paxton.

Armed with this knowledge, Wraith continued to fight his way toward where the abandoned ATC facility that housed Project: Origin where the company was cleaning house and trying to keep everything quiet. Managing to track down Fettel and put an end to him once and for all...

...but not before being pulled into one last hallucination where a revelation he wasn't prepared for was revealed.

It turned out that Wraith...was Alma's first son. And Paxton Fettel was his little brother. The shock of this news had thrown him for a loop and then some. However, it didn't stop him from putting a bullet between the other teen's eyes and ending his madness.

But knowing that his _mother_ had helped Paxton start all of this, he made it his new mission to put an end to Project: Origin...and Alma's rage-induced rampage.

Reaching the center of the facility, he bore witness to an ATC researcher named Harlan Wade releasing Alma from her prison, a cryo-stasis storage chamber called the Vault.

It turned out that Harlan was Alma's father, Wraith and Paxton's grandfather, and the man responsible for what had happened to the three of them. So when the woman walked out of her prison of an untold amount of years, she used her powers to literally splatter the man all over the room before disappearing.

From that point on, the FEAR agent only had one remaining objective. After getting directions from his Commander, he made his way toward the facility's reactor. Fighting through more hallucinations and a handful of horrific apparitions as he set it to overload before making a break for it. Making it out and jumping into a waiting VTOL with the only surviving members of his team before lifting off minutes before the ATC facility exploded, shaking the small city to its foundation as they fled.

Though, it had been far from over.

As the survivors attempted to flee, Alma had made a surprise appearence and the bullhead had crashed in the city of Fairport which resulted in another fight for survival against the paranormal and the remaining Replica forces.

While trying to find a means to escape the city, Wraith had discovered Paxton had been brought back from the dead. But he wasn't technically alive.

Given the amount of aura the younger of the two brother's possessed, and with the aid of their mother, he was brought back in specteral form. Still capable of using his psionic semblance with the added bonus of being able to possess people at will to control them and sap their aura to maintain his existence between the realms.

It was another long, exhausting fight. But Wraith had managed to thrive regardless, even with the loss of Rowdy Betters, the team's Commander and their medic, Jin Sun-Kwon, being MIA when they lost radio contact and presumed dead. He found a still working Bullhead and got it running before making his escape. This time he managed to get away without difficulty, but he was forever changed by the events he had endured.

When he arrived back at FEAR HQ he found ATC guards waiting for him along with their president Genevieve Aristide. It took him almost a minute before he realized that they were there for him knowing where he had been and what he had discovered.

He'd been captured and interrogated for several days. But he refused to talk which prompted them to try and get information out of him in anyway they could.

But he wouldn't be caged, not by the corporation that sacrificed lives and tried to keep it all secret. After biding his time, he got the opening he needed to make his escape. Taking out any and all guards that stood in his path on his way to freedom.

Continuing to stare at the mirror, the teen bowed his head and sighed as he thought about his current situation. The mission had ended over a month ago, and he'd been on the run ever since. Moving from one small town to the next, keeping out of sight as best as possible to avoid the ATC finding him.

He had even taken a few small jobs as a freelance merc in a few towns, dealing with criminals and creatures of Grimm alike to earn enough Lien to survive. Though it wasn't difficult given his skillset.

Many people he had encountered started calling him 'The Rogue'. A huntsman/mercenary who had no affiliation to anyone and acted alone while succeeding without fail. The title fit him, although those that used it had no way to tell how correct the metaphor was in his case.

Turning off the water and the light, he went back into the main room/bedroom of the motel of the town he was currently passing through and sat on the bed. Rubbing his face a bit before switching on the light on the bedside table before reaching under the bed and pulling out the black rucksack that held all his stuff.

Rummaging though the contents and pulling out his weapons as he went about cleaning them.

During his escape, he managed to pick up a G3A3 Assault rifle with a holographic sight and a pair of Strader Mk. VII pistols. 'Gifts' from some of the guards he had taken out in his escape from the ATC prison, along with several small cases of dust-rounds for both. If the organization was good for something it was new and unique weapons.

He'd also been able to reacquire his armor in the breakout, a black tactical vest and rig with the FEAR insignia embroiled on the back with a pair of black knee and shin armored pants. A black balaclava completed his outfit, a few of his friends had said that he should have gotten one with a skull imprinted on it to go along with his nickname.

It was a good thought, but 'Wraith' had died when he escaped from the ones hunting for him. Instead he had to go with another name, one that had awoken within him the same time a portion of his memories was unveiled.

 _Adrian Wade_. The name his mother had hoped to give him after his birth before her father had taken him away for god only knew what. Even though he still couldn't remember his whole past, he knew enough that whatever had been done to him and Paxton was far from good. And it was the ATC that erased his memories so that he wouldn't be able to figure any of it out.

Though the never imagined the brothers would meet face to face...and in turn meet their mother.

Shaking his head of the lingering thoughts, he continued to clean his weapons in silence, robotically taking them apart and cleaning each piece before putting them back together with ease. He'd just finished both pistols when he felt a presence in the room with him.

One that he was now very familiar with as he stopped everything he was doing and looked up.

Standing infront of him, was a little girl. Looking to be eight years old in age with long raven colored hair curtaining around her face, skin as pale as the moon wearing a red dress that flowed down past her knees. She stood in a pool of blood on the floor that hadn't been there, the crimson fluid covering her bare feet which didn't bother her in the slightest.

The lights around the room flickered as she rose her head up to look at him, a pair of glowing, yellow-red eyes leering into his. The dark aura flowing off of her causing the rest of the world to bleed away, leaving only a suffocating darkness. Like the only thing in existence was the two of them as they stood facing one another.

Seconds ticked by like hours, the two continuing to stare at one another in silence. Then, the child reached out a hand, touching the side of his face as a voice echoed in his mind.

 _ **"Come back to me...my baby..."**_ in the blink of an eye, the girl vanished in a small burst of ashes. All signs of her presence leaving with her as the lights stopped flickering.

Adrian closed his eyes and breathed out slowly. Ever since he had encountered her, she would frequently visit him at her leasure. Alma was out there, along with his brother. Where they were he didn't know, but he was aware that they were somewhere. Their aura linked together on a deep level between one another that couldn't be broken no matter how hard he would try.

Taking some time to collect himself, he pulled out his gear and put it on. Slipping his weapons into the proper places, pistols on his legs, rifle across his back and ammo filling the spare pockets of his vest before slipping on his balaclava and heading for the door.

He needed to clear his head.

X

The forest surrounding the small town was dark, the only illumination coming from the shattered moon in the sky above that basked long shadows along the ground. The only sounds coming from the insects coming from the surrounding trees and tall grass.

Yet the echo of heavy footfalls crunching through the underbrush broke the serenity of the atmosphere as the ex-FEAR operative made his way though the forest. Assault rifle held in his grasp as he scanned the trees around him.

Reaching a small clearing , Adrian stood beneath the light of the moon, his eyes searching the treeline for movement. His senses on hyper alert while he waited for the inevitable encounter.

He didn't have to wait long.

The resonating sound of deep growls could be heard somewhere in the shadows before several large, dark forms lurked out into the open. Hunched over, bi-pedal bodies covered in pitch-black fur resembling largewolves with long arms and sharp claws on their hands and feet. White bone armor and spikes covering various points on their forms, including their heads, covered in red markings that seemed to glow in the low light.

Drooling maws filled with jagged teeth snapped while glowing red eyes zeroed in on the prey that had just wandered into their midst.

However, the Beowolves that just revealed themselves had no way of knowing that _they_ were in fact the prey in this situation.

Surveying his opposition, Adrian slowly stepped out more into the open. Assault rifle pressed against his shoulder as he raised the barrel and looked down the sights. The leader of the Grimm pack let loose a bellowing howl and the others launched forward, clawed hands and feet ripping up grass and dirt as they closed the gap.

The teen smirked as he pulled the trigger. A three-round burst leaving the barrel and slamming into the head of the closest Beowolf. The body pitching forward and rolling hard in the dirt causing the one that was behind it to trip over its fallen pack-mate.

Switching left, he fired two more bursts and punched six holes through a second Grimm knocking it onto its back just as the last two reached him. Claws extended in antisipation of the kill.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his aura flaring as the world around him slowed down to an almost crawl. Raising his weapon, he fired into the attacking Beowolves. The path of the bullets visible as they hit their targets, black blood spraying in slow-motion from their bodies as they jerked back from each impact.

Running around them, he fired the rest of the clip into the one that had tripped that was in the process of getting back up. Its head exploding in a slow fountain of blood and bone as the rest fell back to the ground.

When the world returned to its normal rate of time, the Grimm fell dead leaving only the pack leader who snarled at the death of its companions. Adrian lowered his weapon, slinging it across his back before drawing the combat knife he kept in his boot. Motioning for the Beowolf to come as he stood ready.

Roaring, the creature shot forward. Gaining speed with each passing second as it closed in fast. But the teen remained motionless as he waited for the right moment. It was only when the Beowolf leapt that he made his move.

Time slowed once again as he ran across the grass before dropping down and sliding underneath the Grimm. Lashing with his knife and severing the tendons in both of its hind legs before coming out the other side.

Reality set back in and the Beowolf fell to the ground with a loud yelp. Blood gushing from its damaged legs as it attempted to stand to no avail.

Walking toward the crippled creature, Adrian drew one of his pistols and aimed at its head. The Beowolf glaring at him with its red eyes and howled one more time in defiance before he shot it three times. Its body dissolving in a black mist like the others were doing at that point leaving him the only one in the clearing once more.

Taking a deep breath, the ex-FEAR operative looked up at the shattered moon. Cool wind brushing against his face as he felt his earlier mental strain slowly start to fade.

He had no idea where he as going to go, or how long he could keep running before Armacham caught up with him. But they wouldn't be taking him down without a fight. And there was still more than enough in him to go around.

Another distant howl caught his attention. Reloading his weapons, Adrian began to make his way even farther into the forest. He still had a little more stress to let loose, and there was more than enough Grimm to help him solve that.

X

Just out of sight, behind one of the many trees. Another individual stood watching the teen walk away. Stepping out more into the light, another teen that looked to be the same age, if not just a bit younger than Adrian was revealed.

Skin as pale as the moon with jet-black hair slicked back wearing a black leather jacket with red trim and matching pants. Though the most outstanding features about him was the sinister red energy that shrouded his form...

...and the bullet hole in his forehead that still dripped with fresh blood.

Paxton Fettel watched his older brother head off to kill more creatures of darkness with cold, calculating ice-blue eyes. A sharp blade of a smile spreading across his face, **"You can't run from your past forever, brother."** he said darkly, his voice being carried by the wind. **"Sooner or later, we will return to mother's side. And the world will feel our family's wrath."**

 **"They have to die...All of them have to die for what we were forced to endure. And this world, will be ours."** with a sinister chuckle, the apparition faded away in a cluster of ashes.

A/N: Well? How was it guys?

Like I said above, there will be some changes. Mostly to the RWBY-verse as you've already seen, and many more are to come that you might not see coming. It's all in the process and I'll be working at a slower pace to ensure peak quality is attained. For now send me the good word and I'll see you guys again soon!


	2. Interval 01 - Vale

A/N: Despite the fact that I'm slowly gaining speed with this story, it's actually much harder to get through than those I've made before. The most likely reason being that the FEAR storyline was a bit fragmented in regards to Pointman's past and how you had to pay close enough attention to full grasp what happened to him, Fettel and Alma and how they all became what they were.

Combining that with the RWBY storyline is a lot more work than I thought...but if there's anything I like it's a challenge. And given that this fic is the first of its kind I'll do everything I can to make it entertaining enough for my readers.

Some have asked what may be included in this story; Flashbacks from FEAR? Pieces of FEAR 2? The RWBY cast getting stuck in the Almaverse? Or possible encounters with both Fettel and Alma herself? Honestly I haven't fully decided yet, but this story is marked Horror/Adventure for a reason, so stay on your toes.

Anyway, I hope you guys like my work thus far. And I'll keep it going as long as I can...which will hopefully be to the very end.

(I don't own FEAR or RWBY)

The bright sun shined down from the cloudless sky above, the sound of seagulls calling as they flew overhead while a large cargo ship cruised along the ocean. Salt water spraying into the air as the waves crashed against the hull.

At the head, Adrian stood with his hands on the railing before him as he looked toward the large piece of land that was steadily growing bigger the closer the vessel got. It had taken a bit of lien, and doing a few odd jobs around the ship, but he managed to get passage to another kingdom.

He'd never been anywhere other than Vacuo and Atlas, and more than likely he would be found out in either of those kingdoms if he went to either one, so he decided to head to a continent that he wasn't familiar with in order to throw Armacham off his trail completely.

Vale wasn't as large or as military strong as Atlas, but it was said to have it's own way about it that drew in a lot of people from time to time. It was the perfect place for him to hide out and think about his next move before going forward.

The ex-FEAR operative knew that he couldn't keep running forever. Eventually ATC would find him and he'd have to fight back. But he wanted that particular confrontation done on his terms, with the least collateral damage as possible.

The organization needed to be brought down, after everything they've done and covering it up he couldn't just let it all slide. But in order to take them on he'd need a damn good plan...and enough firepower for the job.

Taking another look at the steadily closing docks, Adrian pushed away from the railing and made his way into the ship. Making his way down a few flights of stairs and a few corridors until he entered the utility room where he had been spending the last few nights and picked up the duffel bag and rucksack he stashed out of sight before making his way back toward the upperdeck.

Nodding to a few of the crew men he got to know on the journey as he stepped back out into the sun just as the ship finished pulling into port. The gangplank dropped to the closest dock allowing a few of the crew to step off as he followed down shortly after.

"Welcome to Vale, kid." said one of the crewmen as they started to unload cargo from the ship. "Hope you find what your lookin' for."

Adrian nodded to him as he headed up the pier, pulling out the passport information he forged a while back as he prepared to enter the city.

Seeing him leave, one of the deck hands looked to another, "Kid didn't say one damn word the whole trip." he said shaking his head as they went back to their work.

X

Getting into Vale was rather easy, a farcry compared to all the other places he had to get into in the past weeks. But considering Vale didn't have nearly as many threats, except Grimm, as the other kingdoms they didn't really take too long checking authenticity of identification.

Either way, it worked in Adrian's favor as he now walked down the sidewalk almost an hour after arrival amongst the citizens that were going about their day. His eyes straight, but his senses scanning the crowds for anything out of place or if someone was following him.

Paranoia was never something he considered a part of his mentality, but after recent events he learned to be much more cautious then he had before. And being somewhere he hadn't been before made it even more prominent than usual.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black colored scroll and flipped it open to look at a map of the city he had downloaded not long after he arrived. Flipping over the readout, he found a low-cost motel downtown.

Even though he had a decent amount of money on him, spending a lot on someplace he would only be staying at for a week tops wasn't good strategy. That, and it kept him out of crowded areas, which was even better.

Selecting the location and marking the coordinates, Adrian walked a bit faster. An actual bed and some food sounded pretty good at that moment, and he didn't want to be walking around with all of his gear out in the open.

Thankfully it didn't take too long, considering that where the ship had docked was close to the downtown part of the city. And after a few minutes of checking in and paying in advance, the ex-FEAR operative stood in his new living space for the time being.

It was spartan in nature, only having a bed, a side table, dresser and a cracked tv along with a bathroom that was no bigger than a closet with just a shower stall and toilet. The wallpaper was torn in several places and the lights looked like they needed to be replaced, containing only the bare essentials. Simple, which was all that Adrian needed.

Making sure that his gear was stashed out of sight while putting his spare clothes away in the drawers by the bed, the teen dressed in a black underarmor shirt, digital-camo pants and his boots before slipping on his thigh rigs and slipping his pistols in place with a few clips of ammo before grabbing his wallet and heading out after making sure the door was locked up tight.

The sun was still high in the air as he moved through downtown into the market district where the shops and resturants were located. Thankfully no one batted an eyelash at the fact that he was carrying his sidearms with him, considering that many huntsmen and huntresses carry their armaments when they were out and about.

Taking the time to observe his surroundings, Adrian settled on a simple diner that was out of the way of the more busy businesses. The place only having a few tables full as he grabbed a booth toward the back and sat down while pulling out a menu as he waited for the waitress to come by.

His sharp eyes picking out an older woman with brown hair and an apron heading his way with a notepad in her hand. A pair of dog ears sat atop her head meaning that she was a faunus.

Adrian knew of their history and honestly felt no ill-will toward them, he even served with a couple of faunus when he joined FEAR and became friends with them. Though members of the terrorist cell the White Fang were a different story entirely.

"Good afternoon, are you ready to order?" she asked kindly.

Nodding the teen pointed out a couple of things on the menu. The waitress tilted her head at his silence, but wrote it down regardless. "Alright, coffee and a BLT. It should be ready in about ten minutes." she replied taking the menu and heading toward the kitchen.

The ex-FEAR operative sighed as he leaned back in his seat. For as long as he could remember, he had been unable to speak. After being checked out by a couple of doctors during his time with the Atlatian military, he had been told that there had been permanent damage done to his vocal cords that had happened years prior.

Sometime in the past that he was unable to remember.

Even after getting bits and pieces of it back after his altercations with both Paxton and Alma, there were still large blanks in his memory that had yet to be filled. And after what he had seen and learned thus far...he wasn't sure that he wanted them to be.

He was brought out of his thoughts when lunch arrived, sending a small smile to the waitress as he waited for her to be out of sight before taking out his scroll while digging into his food. Bringing up the map of Vale again as he started scouring various locations of interest.

Local shops that sold weapons, ammo and dust. Hospital. Medical supply stores. Library. And the CCT tower. One of the many things he knew from the military was that you needed to know the terrain, the best vantage points, and any and all resources that could be at your disposal to add against hostility.

Finished with the task, he brought up the local news files to get a better feel of the ongoings of Vale. Other than a few dust robberies and minor Grimm outbreaks in the surrounding forest nothing really stuck out which was good.

Expanding the search, he mentally cursed when he saw a couple articles about him. Or, more or less, the alter ego given to him by various people he'd helped recently. Articles such as; 'Rogue Huntsman Saves Village', and 'Grimm Horde Slaughtered by The Rogue'.

Even though the chances were slim that such things would point to him, there was always a small bit of doubt that someone might dig just deep enough to match it to his profile somehow. Armacham had a large intelligence division, and with what happened in Fairport at the Project: Origin facility they'd do whatever it took to keep it away from the public.

Adrian was a loose end that managed to get away. None of their higher-ups would take that lightly and do whatever it took to either capture or kill him. Though, if they knew of his connection to Alma, then the former was more likely to occur.

Searching a few more points on the device, the teen finished off his meal and paid the bill, leaving a generous tip before leaving the diner and heading for one of the stores he had marked. His ammo had taken a bit of a hit in the last few jobs and he needed to restock while he had the chance.

Entering the store, his grey eyes took in all of the different weapons that surrounded him on the shelves and walls. Some in gun form, others in bladed/melee form, each one different from the last and not one was the same as another. Adrian took a moment to admire some of the wares before making his way to the counter that showed smaller weapons along with dust crystals of various colors, ringing the bell by the cash register to get the attention of the shop owner.

"Be right out!" a gruff voice bellowed from the back before a tall, built man wearing a red t-shirt and jeans stepped out. His hair was grey with black streaks running along the sides and his eyes were a dark shade of brown that was almost black. "Welcome to Tolka's Arms, what can I help you with today?" he asked with a wide grin.

Adrian reached into his pocket and produced a piece of paper with what he needed and handed it to the man who looked it over carefully.

"Hmm, lotta rounds here, clips as well along with dust-grenades. You going to war, kid?" Tolka asked with a raised eyebrow.

The teen crossed his arms and shrugged making the shop owner narrow his eyes. "What's the matter, cat got your tongue or something?"

Rolling his own eyes, Adrian pointed at his throat and shook his head. It took a second or two for the man to realize that he was mute and flushed a bit in embarrisment. "Sorry bout that, got a habit of putting my foot in my mouth sometimes."

Waving him off and letting him know that it wasn't a big deal, the ex-FEAR operative pointed at the paper he handed Tolka. "I can get the rounds and the magazines for you, but the grenades will have to be special ordered. I'd say about two days before they'll get here."

Adrian nodded in understanding as the man went into the back and came out a few minutes later with a couple of cases with bullets and clips and set them on the counter before going to the register and punched in the information.

"All this, plus the cost of the explosives, 750 Lien." he said looking up and found the teen gone along with the supplies he'd set out. Finding the money cards already on the counter along with another slip of paper with a scroll number on it and a note that said; _Call me when the grenades are in. I'll be sure to come by again if I need anything else. Thank you._

Tolka shook his head and looked at the door. "Strange kid." he said outloud before going into the back again.

X

Night had slowly decended over Vale as the shattered moon and stars lit up the sky. Even though it was getting late, the city was still alive with activity with people having a bit of fun while they were still out.

As for Adrian, he's spent a good few hours loading rounds into clips and putting them away before heading out again. Pistols still in their place as he walked along the well lit streets enjoying the cool night air. Looking up at the sky as he moved leasurely down the sidewalk.

If there was one thing he enjoyed doing from time to time that didn't involve killing Grimm, it was looking at the stars. He never knew why, but there was something about nighttime that relaxed him. And the view that wasn't offered in the day was nice in its own way as well.

It offered him a moment of peace and helped him forget what could have been bothering him before. Even if it was only temporary, it was something that he needed to keep his mind at ease when things got too rough.

Taking a deep, calming breath, he checked the watch on the underside of his left wrist before taking a left turn down another street...Coming to an immediate stop when he saw a group of armed men come out of an alley ahead of him.

Moving to the side and getting into the shadows out of sight, he observed the men a bit more closely. Eight of them were dressed in black suits with red shades. Most of them had either side arms or swords on their sides, but two had assault rifles slung across their backs. All of them being led by a man wearing a white suit, a bowler hat holding a cane and smoking a cigar.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, it didn't take someone with military training to see that trouble was brewing. Even more so since the man leading them was Roman Torchwick.

The man's reputation was well known in the other kingdoms, a criminal mastermind that was as cunning as he was eccentric. Which made him all the more dangerous, given him his place in the top five most wanted.

And if he was walking around in the open with an armed escort, it meant anything but good for someone.

Following along slowly and staying out of sight to avoid detection, he watched the armed group continue down the street and enter a shop named From Dust Till Dawn. Four of the thugs stood outside on guard while the others entered the store with Torchwick.

The teen stayed low and made his way closer to get a better viewpoint of the situation. Getting a good look through the window from his position and finding the other half of the group pointing weapons at the elderly shop owner before going around and grabbing every piece of dust that was in sight.

Having seen enough, Adrian quickly formed a plan. Standing up and made his way out into the open and approaching the shop. One of the men standing guard saw his approach and blocked his path to the door. "Sorry kid, shop's closed." he said putting his hand on the teen's shoulder to stop him from advancing.

There was a brief pause before the ex-FEAR operative grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it hard to the right until he heard the tell tale snap. The thug bellowed in pain before a quick jab to the throat silenced him, the man gagging and grabbing at his neck while dropping to the ground, his comrades moving in to intercept when they saw him go down.

Adrian drew one of his Straders just as a commotion could be heard within the store and shot the closest thug in the head before he made it two steps. The remaining men drew their own weapons, but the teen was quicker. Activating his semblance and slowing the world around him as he fired quickly into them while they were in the process of pulling the triggers of their guns.

When everything went back to normal speed, the men dropped to the ground dead the same time one of the front windows of the shop exploded outward. Spinning around Adrian caught sight of a girl kneeling over the downed form of one of the gunmen that went in the store.

She looked to be about his age if not a little younger wearing an all red and black outfit that hugged her curves with a skirt and ended with a long flowing red cloak. Her black/red hair was cropped short framing a heartshaped face with alabaster skin.

Standing to her full height, she pulled a weapon from behind her back. The device unfolding to reveal a massive scythe with a sniper scope attached to the shaft. Looking over her shoulder, a pair of silver-grey eyes peered at the remaining thugs in the shop, a smirk appearing on her face as she twirled the large weapon around and implanted the blade into to the asphault. Her other hand clicking off a pair of headphones she had been holding.

Inside, Torchwick took a slow drag on the cigar in his mouth as he looked at the girl. His eyes traveling over to Adrian as he stood with the bodies of his other henchmen scattered around, pistol aimed in his direction. "Okay...Get Them!" he ordered and the remaining thugs went on the attack.

Two of them went after the girl while the other went after the ex-FEAR operative with the aid of the gunman he had punched in the throat who had just gotten back up. Ducking under an uppercut, he slammed his fist into the man's jaw before pistol whipping him in the side of the head knocking him to the side.

Adrian drew his other Strader and punched a few rounds through the other man's chest before firing one last one into the back of the head of the thug he had knocked to the ground. Looking toward the girl, he saw her finishing off the last of them, twirling her massive scythe like an extension of herself. Using the recoil when she fired it into the ground to move with great speed leaving rose pedals fluttering in her wake.

Smashing the last gunman to the ground and landing on her feet. Torchwick shook his head as he looked at the men he had hired who had been taken out so easily. "Well...you were all worth every cent. Truly you were." he muttered taking out his cigar and dropping it to the ground, stamping it out with his cane, "Well kiddies, I think we can say that it's been an eventful evening. And as much as I would love to stick around." he raised the cane and a sight snapped open from the bottom. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

Adrian raised both his pistols and fired a salvo of rounds at the criminal as he fired a flare from the cane. The girl aimed her scythe at the ground and fired herself into the air to avoid the following explosion while Adrian dove aside and rolled out of the way.

Getting to his feet and aiming forward again he found Torchwick gone, but a small spot of blood could be seen where he had been standing along with a trail that led to a ladder that went to a nearby rooftop where the mastermind was busy climbing up with a large red spot on his left shoulder.

Holstering the pistols, the teen grabbed a dropped DAR (Dust Assault Rifle) and gave chase. Activating his semblance along the way as he scaled the ladder, appearing as a blur to those who saw him as he reached the rooftop quickly. Rifle pressed to his shoulder and eye down the sights as he saw Torchwick staggering to the other end of the roof holding his bleeding shoulder.

A moment away from pulling the trigger to stop him, a gunshot was heard in the street below and a familiar red cloaked girl appeared with her scythe at the ready. Sending a brief look at the one that got there before her before addressing the criminal. "Hay!"

Torchwick stopped, gripping his shoulder a bit tighter, "Persistant." he hissed through his teeth as a loud hum of a bullhead's engines was heard powering up. The arial craft raised into the air sending wind billowing around them, a spotlight shining down on the rooftop as the cargo door opened to allow the criminal entry.

Squinting through the brightness, Adrian raised his pilfered weapon and fired at the ship. Torchwick ducking out of the way as the rounds peppered around the metal walls until the clip ran out.

"End of the line kids!" the man shouted coming back out into the open holding up a red dust crystal before throwing it in their direction.

Narrowing his eyes when he was the criminal raising his cane to shoot, the ex-FEAR operative flared his aura and slowed time around him again. Tossing the empty rifle to the ground and drawing one of his pistols and taking careful aim at the piece of dust.

The weapon kicked when it fired, the bullets path clear through the distortion as it pierced through the air and hit its target. The crystal slowly breaking apart on contact as time flowed normally again as it went up in a blast of fire, the shockwave that followed jarred the bullhead forcing Torchwick to grab the handhold inside the compartment, glaring down at the two below.

Smirking, Adrian drew his other pistol and stared firing in quick succession forcing the man into cover. Beside him, the girl converted her own weapon into a smaller form and started shooting as well. Rounds pinging off the ship's hull as it remained in the air.

Torchwick grunted as he kept low and making his way to the cockpit where a woman with raven colored hair and a dark-red dress was piloting. "These kids are a pain in the ass." he growled while using his aura to heal as much of the gunshot wound as he could.

The woman stood up abruptly and headed past him and into the compartment, leaving her partner to pilot the ship as she looked down at the two teens as they reloaded their weapons. Glowing ember eyes leered down at them as she held out her hand, fire traveling along the arm of her dress before a blast launched from her palm.

Both of them saw the attack and leapt out of the way when it struck the roof, splashes of energy spreading around on impact. The woman waved her hand through the air and a glowing red circle appeared below them.

Adrian grabbed the girl around the waist and leapt back as the ground exploded sending chunks of debris flying in all directions. Glaring at the woman when he landed away from the blast zone, the soldier raised his weapons to shoot when he saw another fireblast heading straight for them

Before he had a chance to move again, a shield of purple energy suddenly erected and took the hit instead. Confused at the turn of events, he heard the sound of high heeled shoes on the ground behind him.

Turning around, he was greeted with the sight of an older woman making her way across the roof. Dressed in a white blouse and black skirt, her blonde hair tied up in a tight bun with green eye behind a pair of glasses. Her posture was stiff, yet controlled as she held a riding crop in her hand that was pointed forward.

Waving the crop, the debris that was scattered around from the first blase started hovering in the air before forming together to create a large, spear-shaped projectile that launched at the bullhead.

A handful of fireblasts shot out of the ship from the attacking woman, taking out half the projectile. But the blonde waved her crop again causing the remaining stone pieces to split off in several directions and attack from various angles.

This only lasted a few seconds before a wave of orange energy blasted from within the bullhead destroying the projectiles completely

The two teens raised their weapons and started shooting again, the mystery woman in the air held out her hand and deflected the salvo of rounds effortlessly before waving her hand through the air again. Causing the ground below the three of them to glow brightly forcing them to jump out of the way as a large hole was blasted through the roof.

By the time they had righted themselves, the bullhead was already flying away. Its engines tilting upward as it gained speed and disappeared into the distance.

Adrian lowered his pistols, holstering them in place as he watched the craft fade away. "You're a huntress." he turned to the girl that fought with him with a raised eyebrow as she saw her looking at the woman that helped them with stars in her eyes.

"Can I have your autograph?!" she added with a higher pitch.

The woman gave her a pointed look, "No. And I must ask that you come with me immediately." she turned to the young man as he started walking back to the ladder. "That goes for you as well."

Stopping, Adrian turned and looked back directly into her eyes before he vanished in a blur leaving both women shocked.

X

Ruby Rose could only stare, mouth agape at how the other teen had just vanished like that. She'd never once seen someone with speed that could rival her own, and from what she had seen he was very skilled with a gun.

"Who was that guy?" she wondered outloud before the woman gave her another look and motioned for her to follow. Her frusteration as being blown off by the other teen very clear as they headed into the city.

X

Unknown to all, across the street on another rooftop, shrouded by the light of the shattered moon, stood the form of a familiar eight year old girl. Long red dress covering her frame with pitch black hair covering her face. A pair of cold, glowing red-orange eyes leering through the curtain seen clearly in the darkness as she watched the events unfold.

The wind picked up just as she vanished in a burst of ashes, the fading pieces scattering as they fell.

A/N: Looks like Mommy's keeping close watch over her oldest son. I did mention that there would be changes to RWBY canon, and I started them much earlier than I originally planned to make things interesting. I mean come on, how many of you wanted a bullet in that arrogant ass, Torchwick, after seeing the first episode? I sure as hell did.

And if your a little put off with the killing of the thugs and how quickly it was done by Adrian(Pointman), don't forget he was technically raised to be a killer in Project: Origin and was a part of the FEAR task force. He's used to taking down enemies swiftly and a few dime store thugs are nothing compared to what he can do. So prepare for a lot of asskicking in the future...but remember. Good training and paranormal reflexes doesn't make him invincible, he's not a Gary-Stu folks and I'll be damn sure not to make him that way.

Till next time, send your reviews and I'll update soon. Peace!


	3. Interval 02 - Opprotunity

A/N: Five days seem to fly right by given how much you work on something awesome.

I've been reading your reviews carefully, and I'm doing everything in my power to make most of your thoughts a reality. Though what I have planned for this story is a bit more than what you might expect. I like to keep you all on your toes, after all.

( I don't own FEAR or RWBY)

A few days after the confrontation outside the dust shop, Adrian had layed low so that things could settle. The cops and the media had been all over what had happened and the last thing he wanted was his face on the news.

In the mean time he got the complete layout of Vale logged to memory to the point where he didn't need to regard any of the downloaded maps he gathered upon arrival. He had also gathered a few books from the local library to gather extra information on the kingdom's history to garner a better understanding of his new surroundings.

This had gone on until he got the phone call from the weapon shop he visited on the first day saying that the grenades he ordered were ready. Heading out, he went to the shop and picked up the explosives along with a few medical supplies from a few other locations before making his way back to the motel.

Despite the fight in the street days prior, Vale was still a rather quiet and peaceful place. Something the ex-FEAR operative wasn't used to. After spending so much time going from one combat zone to another, not to mention the amount of training he had endured, he was hardwired for fighting.

Peace and relaxation was rare, and even then letting your guard down could be a death sentence in his line of work. Even now since he was considered a freelance huntsman. It put him on edge, which kept his instincts sharp.

Walking down the carpeted hallway of the motel, stachel over his shoulder filled with supplies, Adrian dug around in his pocket and took out his room key as he approached the door at the end. Looking up, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed something amiss.

The door to his room was adjar, and he remembered full well that he had locked it up when he left an hour ago. Meaning that someone had been here...or still was here waiting for him.

Slowly setting his bag on the floor, the teen drew one of his pistols and approached the door. Clicking the safety off silently and moving with slow, steady steps to avoid making any sounds as he drew closer. Strader held firm in both hands, he tensed his shoulders before kicking the door open the rest of the way before storming inside.

Sweeping his weapon about and scanning the room with sharp eyes, the process taking all of a second as he saw everything exactly the way it should be...save for the lone man sitting at the small table in the corner taking a sip from a white coffee mug.

Dressing in a dark colored suit with a green scarf wrapped around his neck with silver hair. When he set the mug down, a pair of sharp, intellectual eyes peered at him through a pair of glasses that locked onto his. Ignoring the sidearm that was currently aimed at his head, the trigger a hair's length from being pulled.

"There is no need for hostility, I mean you no harm. However, I do respect your cautiousness." the man said in a calm, collective tone while leaning back in the chair he was in. Adrian remained where he was, unmoved by what he had been told.

"I suppose you're wondering who I am and why I'm here." the man said remaining impassive to the imminent danger he was in. "I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. I believe you encountered my associate Glynda Goodwitch several nights ago."

The teen thought back to the blonde huntress with the riding crop she used like a wand to fight, but he refused to give any acknowledgement and give himself away to the man.

He knew of Ozpin by reputation. He was in a whole different league when it came to being a huntsman, being around as long as he has granted him his place in running one of the most advanced schools for huntsmen and huntresses in Remnant.

Taking another long sip from his mug, Ozpin motioned to the other chair across from him. "Please, I only wish to speak with you. If you'll grant me a few minutes of your time."

The situation seemed harmless, and the Headmaster wasn't giving off anything that would be deemed untrustworthy. But Adrian wasn't taking any risks as he moved toward the chair, keeping his eyes and weapon trained on the other man as he sat down. Laying the pistol on the surface, but easily within reach just incase.

He'd give the man the benefit of the doubt, for now at least, so he could figure out what he wanted and why he was there in the first place.

When everything settled for a moment, Ozpin reached into his coat, noting how Adrian tensed and edged his hand closer to his weapon bit more expecting an attack as he took out his scroll and opened it up into tablet form. Pressing a few keys he set it on the table and turned it in the younger man's direction showing a frozen image of him fighting the thugs beside the red cloaked girl from a few nights ago.

"This image was taken from a security feed outside the store that was being robbed, and is the only one clear enough of your face. In the others, you were either in motion or moving so quickly even the naked eye couldn't catch you." he said picking up his coffee mug again. "As for how we were able to find you, a new arrival in Vale is hard to miss despite the number of people who live here. And I wouldn't be a good huntsman if I wasn't able to track down a lone individual who does everything he can to stay out of sight."

Ozpin nodded to him, "It is impressive how you've managed to stay as low-key as you have. But in doing so leads me to believe that you aren't in the kingdom for a change of scenery. And your skills in combat hardly mark you as another simple civilian. Which means you are either a young huntsman, or a mercenary."

Adrian remained calm, the Headmaster was good...very good. Not surprising really given his level of skill.

Taking another drink, the professor continued. "You're not in any sort of trouble, you've done nothing that would result in the authorities being contacted. Though your execution of the armed gunmen was a bit extreme. Never the less, you neutralzed a threat to the innocent when others would have simply walked away, and you haven't made any threatening actions to the people of Vale, which is enough for me to give you a bit of trust. Which leads me to my reason for being here."

The Headmaster leaned on the table and put his hands together, "Being the Headmaster of a school for huntsmen and huntresses, I'm constantly on the lookout for young fighters who can do good for our world. To protect lives and ensure that the state of peace we are in remain intact. Your skills from that night show me that you'd be more than capable in aiding in that criteria."

Being unable to speak, the now confused ex-FEAR operative regarded the older man with a look that conveyed the question on his mind. Why? Why would he tell him all of this? Why give him an invitation like this when he knew nothing about Adrian? What was his angle?

Ozpin seemed to read this and answered, "I may not understand your reasons for being here or why you chose Vale, they are your own and I will not force you to reveal them. But I am offering you something where you don't have to keep running from whatever it is you are trying to escape. A purpose. And if you give me and my school a chance, hopefully you'll be able to trust me enough to let me help you should you need it."

He leaned back in his seat and picked up the mug again, "Our world needs heros, even those who are capable of doing what others are unable to. I can see in your eyes that you have seen death and dealt it to your enemies, something that marks someone for the rest of their days. But you've overcome it and gained strength and experience from it, such things are needed in more ways than you can imagine."

Finishing his coffee, Ozpin reached into his jacket and produced a small card. Setting it on the table before collecting a cane he had leaning against the back of the chair and his scroll. "I don't expect an answer right now, it's a lot to consider. There is still a week before the new semester begins so you have ample time, feel free to message me your answer and I'll ensure that everything is ready."

The man headed to the still opened door and put his hand on the knob. "I do hope you will consider the invitation, prowess like yours would be a valuable asset to Beacon and to Remnant." With that he closed the door leaving Adrian alone with his thoughts about the one sided conversation that had taken place.

X

Ozpin stepped out of the elevator and was greeted with the sight of Professor Goodwitch waiting patiently for him. "How did everything go?" she asked a bit on edge.

"Everything went fine, Glynda. No need to worry." replied the Headmaster as they started making their way toward the lobby. "He is a very interesting case, I must admit." the man continued.

The blonde huntress shook her head, "Interesting isn't the word I would describe him as. Something about him seems...dangerous. I watched him take down the gunmen outside the dust shop, killing them without hesitation. And the way he moved, only someone with advanced training could manuver like that especially with his semblance."

Goodwitch may have been put off when the young man made his escape before she brought Ruby to the police station to meet with the Headmaster. But watching him in action is what made her want to bring him to Ozpin's attention in the first place, even though the look in his eyes had unnerved her a bit.

They were the eyes of someone who had killed in great numbers that didn't involve Grimm. Only a select few huntsman in the past had such a look, and it unsettled her to see someone so young possess it.

"Did you learn anything new about him?" she asked after a moment.

Ozpin shook his head, "I'm afraid our young friend is mute, Glynda. He didn't say one one word during our talk but was able to convey what he was thinking through his eyes and facial expressions. He was very cautious when he found me in his room, had his weapon ready the whole time incase I was proved hostile. He definitely knows how to approach an unknown situation."

The other professor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose at the man's disregard for safety. "Are you sure it was wise to grant him an invitation, Ozpin? We known almost nothing about him or his agenda, we don't even know his name! How can we be sure that he won't be a threat to the students and staff at Beacon?"

For his part, the Headmaster just gave a small smile. "It is true that the young man is an enigma, but I believe that he is no more a danger to Beacon than you and I are. Everyone is entitled to their secrets, and perhaps with a bit of trust and understanding we can learn more about him in time. For now, he can prove invaluable for the coming years."

"I just find it a bit strange that you would invite a total stranger." stated Goodwitch. "Ms. Rose I was able to understand, despite her being only a year younger than the other first year students. But this one..." she let the words hang in the air.

"Anyone who has ever played a game knows that a wildcard can greatly change an outcome." Ozpin said cryptically as they stepped through the lobby toward the exit. He paused when the lights around them flickered a moment, raising an eyebrow before everything went back to normal as he and his associate stepped outside.

X

Later in the evening, Adrian layed on his bed staring at the ceiling while he thought deeply about the invitation he had been given. Weighing the pros and cons carefully depending on if he accepted or declined.

He didn't expect anything like this when he came to Vale, just hoping to be around for a while before moving on again as he tried to think of his next move against Armacham. To have the Headmaster of one of the four greatest schools that trained the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses offer him a place was strange even for him.

Even though he had a few fleeting doubts about the whole situation, it could prove to be more beneficial in the long run.

The ex-FEAR operative would be able to hide in plain sight and keep his skills sharp while at the same time learning a bit more about the Grimm and a few other subjects that could help him in some way.

He did have an education, knowledge about a lot of things that he most likely picked up before whatever wiped his memories that managed to remain. But there were still things he needed to know more about certain things.

Adrian continued to think on everything and realized the good outweighed the bad by leaps and bounds. Infact the only downside would be that he would be in one place a lot longer than he originally intended. However, even if the ATC found out where he was they wouldn't openly attack a place like Beacon to get him without horrible backlash from the kingdom. If he was found out, he'd be able to come up with a plan to outsmart them and take them down before they made a move against him.

That, and he might be able to gain allies while attending the school.

There was another factor he had to consider though...one that could be a large risk to everyone if it followed him to the academy. And he highly doubted that any one in the combat school would be able to handle it.

An image of Alma appeared in his minds eye, in both child and adult form forcing him to rub his eyes before he rolled over and checked his watch that was on the nightstand. Seeing that it was almost three in the morning, Adrian decided to get some sleep before going about this anymore. He had more than enough time to think about his choice afterall.

He'd eventually have to come to a decision, and hopefully it would be one that wouldn't end up causing more trouble. But a small part of him, a part that remembered the loneliness that had been with him for as long as his fragmented memory could comprehend, wondered if the risk was worth the possible rewards that might come with going to Beacon.

As his eyes drifted closed, Adrian's mind drifted off again into the endless sea of memories and nightmares he faced every night.

X

Elsewhere, on the island of Patch just outside of Vale, 16 year old Ruby Rose laid in her bed asleep. Curled up comfortably among the many pillows and comforters dressed in her usual sleeping attire, a black tank top with a cartoon Beowolf on the front and rose printed pajama pants.

At the foot of the bed slept a black and white Welsh Corgi named Zwei that was curled up by her legs as she snored softly while dreaming.

After the night she had after the dust shop incident, and the excitement of being invited to Beacon a year in advance, she wasted no time in telling her big sister and father the good news. Both were beyond excited for her now that she was another step closer to her dream of becoming a huntress.

And her sister Yang was happy to have her going to school the same time as she was. Now she anxiously counted down the days before she would be able to set off to the school. But for now slumbered peacefully while waiting.

But unlike the countless dreams of fighting monsters and saving the day that she has had before, this one was a bit...different.

X

 _Ruby blinked as she looked around at the endless white void that surrounded her on all sides. There was no noise, no wind, nothing._

 _"Hello?" she asked, her voice echoing back at her as she tried to find out where she was. Turning around, she froze when she came face to face with an unusual sight._

 _Standing a few feet away from her, was a young boy with shortcut hair and grey eyes. He was dressed in a white jumpsuit with 'P1' embroiled on the front with what looked to be a toy gun holstered on his right hip. He starred forward at her with a look of sorrow and loneliness on his face._

 _Concern overriding her curiosity and confusion, Ruby stepped closer to the child. "Hay, are you okay?" she asked as she knelt down to his level. His sad, grey eyes looking into her bright silver ones._

 _The boy didn't speak. Instead he merely shook his head and cast his gaze to the ground. The young woman felt even more concern for him, he looked so broken, miserable. "What's got you so upset, little guy?" she asked trying to get some kind of reaction out of him._

 _He looked up at her again before turning to the side. Ruby followed his line of sight and was shocked to see another boy appear a few meters away. Dressed similar to the first boy, but had 'P2' on the front of the suit and had a much paler complexion with light-blue eyes. He also had a large bandage wrapped around his head that almost covered one of said eyes._

 _The other boy smiled at the first as another form appeared beside him. This one made Ruby's heart nearly stop._

 _Standing beside the other boy, holding his hand, was a girl roughly the same age. Her hair as dark as night that hung very low along her form. Her complextion was like ash which pronounced deep purple circles that surrounded her glowing red-orange eyes. She wore a crimson-red dress that went down to her knees that showed bare feet, the color making her appearence all the more...startling._

 _It was here that the young woman felt her breath hault in her chest. The girl was standing in a pool of blood. The substance dripping down her legs and spreading across the ground and getting wider. Though the boy who's hand she was holding was oblivious to this, he just smiled as he looked at the boy standing beside Ruby who was now looking at both of them with hesitation and a sliver of fear._

 _The girl's face was a mask of stone, no emotion visible. Yet she slowly raised her other hand and held it out to him, as if calling to him to join them while the second boy smiled more and offered his hand as well._

 _Ruby looked down at the child beside her who was rooted to his spot before looking up at her, asking a silent question she couldn't understand as the world turned blinding, then black._

X

Ruby's eyes snapped open and she gasped. Her mind still focused on the images she had seen in her dream as she tried to make sense of it.

"What was that?" she wondered while brushing hair out of her face.

Zwei, who had woken up the same time she had, moved up beside her and tilted his head to the side. Ruby smiled and patted his head, "It's alright, Zwei. Just weird dreams. Last time I eat a jar cookies before going to bed." she said laughing nervously.

The small dog yiped as he spun around twice and curled in a ball in the space beside her. Smiling, she laid her head back down and closed her eyes as she tried to get back to sleep. Pushing the dream to the back of her mind for the time being.

X

Ozpin sat at his desk nursing yet another cup of coffee. The many gears in the large room rotating and moving in sync with one another making soft sounds that soothed his many thoughts along with the beverage in his hand.

It had been several days since his meeting with the young man who had fought beside Ruby, and since he had yet to receive confirmation to the invitation given to him.

Though he wasn't worried, despite the minor protests of professor Goodwitch on the matter he knew that there was something about this particular individual that peeked his interest.

Like Ms. Rose, he was skilled beyond his years and held himself in a way that many his age did not. But more than that, he showed that he had a calculating mind and razor-sharp reflexes when dealing with an enemy. Then there was his semblance...at first he believed that it was something similar to the younger girl he fought beside. But after reviewing what footage they had that was proven to not be the case.

It was more than just speed. It looked as though the younger man had complete control of his surroundings while in whatever state he put himself in. He saw threats coming much more quickly and was able to respond to them at the same pace.

He was an enigma, that much was for certain. But deep down in his soul Ozpin knew that he could trust him, hense the offer. Skills and dedication like that was invaluable to what was coming, and they'd need all the help they could get before-

His musings were cut off by a chime coming from his scroll. Reaching into his pocket and pulling the device out, he saw that there was a message waiting for him from an unknown number.

Opening the message, he smiled when he saw the four words that were written;

 _I accept the invitation._

Ozpin took a drink from his mug before typing a message back and sending it;

 _I will need a name for the transcripts. Along with any personal information you wouldn't mind giving to get everything ready._

Several minutes ticked by while the headmaster waited patiently. It was easy to tell that this young man was not easily trusting. Most likely one of the many reasons why he was staying out of sight like he was. Ozpin only hoped that he had earned just enough of the teen's trust to prove that Beacon would be a haven for him.

There was another chime and he opened the new message to find just enough basic information regarding the new addition to the academy to fill the transcript qualifications. Though the professor was curious when he read the name at the top.

 _Adrian Wade._

"Well, Mr. Wade, I look forward to seeing how you interact when the new semester starts." said Ozpin as he looked out the window of his office toward the city in the distance.

X

The rest of the week flew by like nothing. After coming to his decision, Adrian took the time to gather anything he might need before the day came.

Leaving the motel and heading toward the airship docking area where countless other teens were already piling on to the large craft that would take them to Beacon.

Adjusting his bags while hanging back and waiting for the crowd to thin out, he wondered for what felt like the hundreth time if he made the right decision. Despite weighing the risks carefully and making the choice based on what he was able to come up with, he was still a bit hesitant.

In all the time he could remember, he'd never really been around people his own age. And on top of that socializing wasn't really in his skillset either. It almost felt like being in a firefight without a gun, he was out of his element.

Adrian shook his head, there was no going back now. And if he was good at anything other than warfare it was adapting, so he'd have to just roll with everything for the time being. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the airship and stepped on.

The large interior was taken up by all the other students who had either assembled in groups and were conversing, or had taken up seats and were either reading, listening to music or playing with their scrolls.

After looking around and finding a spot away from everyone in the back, the ex-FEAR operative headed that way and settled in for the long flight to Beacon. Pulling out one of the books he had picked up from a local store and started reading as the door finally closed and the ship started to take off.

Even though he was interested in the dialogue of the book, he was still completely aware of his surroundings and everyone that was within close proximity to him...

Which was why he was able to pick up loud, excited conversation between two sisters, subtle laughter from other students, and some blonde haired boy casually losing his lunch in a nearby garbage bin from air sickness. Adrian mentally sighed as he absently turned the page after finishing it.

It was going to be a long ride.

A/N: A bit shorter than what I was expecting, and there was a lot more scene changes as well. But I think I got the point across. The scene between Ozpin and Adrian was something I'd been debating about for a while, along with the decision the young Pointman would make. Given the personality I had given him, I did the best I could to ensure that it remained intact throughout the chapter.

Also, you may have noticed that I made Ruby 16 instead of 15. It is one of the many changes to the RWBY canon that I mentioned before. Believe me, it'll help with certain things later on. Keep the reviews coming guys, and I'll keep the chapters coming.


	4. Interval 03 - Beacon

A/N: Two chapters in 24 hours, definitely fits my profile of writing. So I'm not going to waste your time with my thoughts this time.

(I don't own FEAR or RWBY)

Beacon academy...could have passed as either a castle or a fortress given how it was built and the massive size of the campus. The many buildings topped with high spires and the endless walkways that went in and around each structure stretched in every direction.

The combat school also sat upon a massive cliff face with large waterfalls that fell to the large river that led to the ocean outside of Vale. The rest of the academy was surrounded by a large forest that went on in every direction.

Given the geology of the surrounding area, the only way in or out of the campus was by airship. Making it one of the most secure places in the kingdom.

All of this passed through Adrian's mind as he stepped off the ramp from the craft that brought all of the students and looked out over the academy with a critical eye. It was an impressive sight, he had to admit. And given the history of this place, there was a high standard set for those hoping to attend.

Standards, that he somehow managed to either meet or bypass to gain entry.

Adjusting the bag on his shoulder and the grip on the duffel in his left hand, the teen started making way up the path before him while other airships docked letting more students out. Just in time for the same blonde guy he had seen on the ship he saw getting sick bolt from the airship and throw up again in a nearby garbage can.

The ex-FEAR operative looked at the scene and shook his head before continuing on his way again. All the while wondering how someone who was that easily motion-sick wanted to be in a combat school in the first place.

A few students glanced in his direction as he passed by them, but Adrian paid them no mind as he headed toward the building in the front of the campus. There wasn't much in terms of instructions, Ozpin had just told him to head to the atrium where everyone was to gather.

So he just followed the students that were heading in the same direction, that and he managed to get a map of Beacon's layout the day before and memorized it, just incase.

Along the way, he paused while coming upon a sight he had also witnessed on the airship on the way there in the form of two girls speaking to one another.

One was a blonde bombshell with lilac colored eyes wearing a brown jacket over a yellow tank top, black biker shorts and brown combat boots. And the other, to Adrian's surprise, was the same girl he encountered a week ago that fought against Torchwick.

"Ruby, come on." said the older girl pulling the hood of the other girl's cloak over her face. "Why don't you try making some friends of your own?"

"Why would I need friends when I have you?" Ruby asked in return after fixing her hood.

Her sister chuckled nervously as a group appeared behind her, "Actually...myfriendsareherenowcatchupwithyoulaterbye!" she said all in one breath before she and the others that were with her disappeared so fast that the younger girl spun around and became dizzy.

"Wait! Yang?! Where are you going?!" Ruby called after her as she stumbled around trying to regain her footing. Almost falling into a luggage carrier that was passing had it not been for a strong hand on her shoulder that stopped her in time.

Shaking her head, the young teen looked up and gasped when she met Adrian's grey eyes. She blinked a few times as the rest of the dizziness faded before she realized who it was she was looking at and gasped, "It's...It's you. From before." she said referring to that night.

Adrian smirked and nodded to her when another voice cut in. "What are you two doing?!"

They turned their heads and regarded another girl, dressed all in white with pale skin, blue eyes and long white hair that was put up in an off-center ponytail. Everything about her looked prim and proper, someone of highclass, infact the only flaw about here seemed to be the pink scar that stretched over her left eye.

"Do either of you know what kind of damage you could have caused if one of these broke open?" she demanded while referring to the luggage that was being pushed forward by a butler that was most likely hers.

Ruby scratches her head, "Uhh, sorry?" she said confused about the whole thing while Adrian just crossed his arms and looked impassive.

The girl scoffed and looked her over a moment, "Aren't you a little _young_ to be attending Beacon? This isn't just sparring and practicing you know, we're here to fight monsters. So why don't you start watching where you're going."

"Hay! I said I was sorry for whatever it is I _almost_ did, princess!" Ruby sniped back.

"It's heiress, actually." said another female voice, this one calm and collective as the one it belonged to approached them.

Adrian looked up and tensed when he saw long, black hair and a pair of ember colored eyes, hand twitching to the Strader on his right thigh. But he managed to relax when he realized the girl before them wasn't the one he believed her to be as she closed the book in her hands and tucked it under her arm.

"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. One of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." the girl in black said looking at the one in question.

Weiss preened at the introduction, "Finally, some recognition."

"The same company infamous for its controversial work forces, and questionable business partners." the ravenette continued effectively shutting her down.

The heiress glared at them with vindication before turning her glare on the ex-FEAR operative. "Anything you have to say for yourself?" she said already cross with everyone she's met thus far.

Adrian raised his hand, and casually flipped her the middle finger. Weiss gaped at the gesture and glared hard at him before stomping away, but the young man paid her no mind. He had issues with the Schnee Dust Corporation given their connection to the Armacham, all of which coming to the surface when he realized who she was.

Even though he knew that the project involving him, Alma and Paxton may have been kept away from the higher ups in SDC, they were still funneling money to the people responsible and either didn't look deep enough into it to see what was going on or they knew and simply didn't care.

Essentially, they were guilty by proxy for what the ATC had done no matter how you looked at it.

Turning back, he was the girl in black walking away while Ruby stood looking after her before slumping down on her knees. "Welcome to Beacon..." she muttered to herself lowly. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up to see Adrian holding a hand out for her and helping her to her feet.

Now standing upright, the girl in red dusted herself off and smiled up at him. "Thanks for that, guess I'm not the only one having a rough day, huh?" she said motioning to where Weiss had taken off.

Adrian shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Ruby perked up a moment later realizing something and held her hand out to him, "My name's Ruby, by the way. Sorry for the delayed introduction." she said with a nervous chuckle.

The ex-FEAR operative reached out and slowly shook the girl's smaller hand. Her skin soft against his calloused palm as they drew back from one another. Her silver eyes looked at him expectantly waiting for his response.

Sighing, he pulled out his scroll and typed his name in it before showing her. "Adrian...cool name." she said trying not to sound awkward. "You're not much of a talker, are you?" she asked trying not to sound insulting.

Adrian shook his head, pointing at his throat and making a slashing motion to get his point across. The cloaked girl nodded, "Ah, I get it now." she said scratching the back of her head. "Do you...uh...wanna hang out for a bit? I mean if you're not doing anything! I mean...I'm really not good at this." she said mostly to herself at the end.

Watching her stumble over her words, it appeared that he wasn't the only one that had issues with being social with others. His only saving grace was that he was more of a lone wolf than a people person and it worked for him in the long run.

Even though he was a bit hesitant at getting close to people after everything that's happened, he decided to swallow his pride and help the girl out. She may have been nervous and jittery in public, but she was very skilled while in combat. Something he respected.

Putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder, bringing her out of her awkward and self loathing rant, he gave a small smile and motioned with his head sending the message that she got instantly.

"R-Really?" she asked both hesitant and excited. Another nod from the older teen and she started bouncing on her heels. "Awesome! Com'mon, we better start now before-" she was cut off when she spun around and collided with someone causing them both to fall to the ground.

Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose and smirked in amusement at her eager antics while Ruby shook off the fall and regarded the one she bumped into.

"Aren't you that guy that threw up on the ship?"

X

When the two got up, the three teens headed along one of the many pathways together.

Meanwhile at the docking area, someone watched them closely. Or, more or less, one of them in particular.

Alma stood in her child-form by one of the airships, glowing eyes watching her eldest son walking with the other two. No matter where he might go, she would always be able to locate him through the link forged between them as mother and child.

The people around her walked by, completely unaware of her presence given that she would only reveal herself to the mortals if she wanted to. Only her children had the ability to see her in any state and that was the way she wanted it.

The powerful psionic only had two dreams she strived to be fulfilled. She wanted her family together again, like it always should have been. And she wanted the living world to suffer for the sins forced upon her and her sons. Her eyes glowed brighter as she looked all of the beings around her.

Children being trained to fight darkness, for what? Glory? Money? It did not matter. To her, they were nothing more than cattle. And soon they would learn the true meaning of _darkness_ and the horrors that come with it.

Life was wasted on the living...and nothing would stop her vengence.

A group of students walked by where she was standing, and when they passed she had vanished into thin air.

X

The next few minutes were spent walking along the pathways that cut through the courtyards of the campus. Along the way Ruby, and the blonde boy whose name was Jaune Arc, talked between one another about various things which included their respected weapons.

Adrian just followed along silently, listening to the back and forth between the two as he looked to the sky above them. All the while trying to wonder how the next few years were going to go, if he was even here that long.

Deep in the pit of his being, he couldn't help but think that something horrible was going to happen somwhere in the near future. He'd been having this feeling for a while now, even before coming to Vale, like a bad omen that hung overhead. He just couldn't place it anywhere to understand the where, why and how. Although he had a good feeling of who would most likely be responsible.

He blinked when he saw a pale hand waving infront of his face. "Adrian? Hello? Someone home?" Ruby asked tilting her head at him. "You spaced out for a bit, everything okay?"

The ex-FEAR operative nodded before checking his watch. Seeing the time, he tapped the face and motioned with his thumb that they should get going. Ruby and Jaune both nodded as they headed in the direction of the main atrium where the initiation ceremony was supposed to being.

Going through a pair of large double doors, they were greeted with the sight of dozens upon dozens of people all inside and trying to find a place close to the center stage.

"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Ruby's sister Yang called out from a few rows up.

"Oh!" the cloaked girl exclaimed before turning to the two older boys. "It was nice meeting you guys, I'll see you after the ceremony, okay!" she called out before running off to meet up with her sister.

Jaune tried to speak but ended up sighing, "Ah, great. Now where am I gonna find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?" he asked looking in Adrian's direction and blinked to see him already gone as well. Causing the blonde to sigh again and walk away, not noticing the red haired girl in spartan armor watching him from the side.

X

"How's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asked as they got comfortable and waited for the ceremony to start.

"You mean since you ditched me?" Ruby asked back crossly making the blonde raise her arms in defense.

"I didn't mean to leave you hanging like that, Ruby. I just wanted to talk with a few friends from Signal for a bit before we got seperated after initiation." she explained.

The younger girl relaxed a bit, "I get it, it's just I'm the youngest one here. And you know how hard it is for me to get to know new people."

Yang nodded and looked at her sister with a smirk, "So, who where the two boys you were with a moment ago? Is my little sis already getting some attention I should know about?" she asked while cracking her knuckles.

Ruby blushed at what she may have been implying. "Nothing like that!" she exclaimed before calming down. "Their names are Jaune and Adrian. Jaune was the guy we saw throwing up on the ship. And Adrian...well...you remember when I told you and dad about that fight I had outside the dust shop, and there was that guy that moved really fast and killed those thugs?"

The blonde's eyes widened, "That was him?! Jeez, never expected him to be here." she said looking around for any sign of the dark haired boy. "What's he like? You didn't really go into details the last time."

Scratching her head, Ruby tried to think of the best way to talk about him. "He's...It's hard to explain. I don't really know a whole lot other than the fact that he's got awesome moves in a fight and he stopped me from tripping over some crabby girl's luggage earlier. That and he can't talk."

"What? Is he that suck on himself, or is he keeping secrets?" asked Yang.

"No, Yang, I mean he _really_ can't talk." the girl in red explained while making a cutting motion across her neck.

Yang made an 'O' with her mouth when she understood. "So...what did you guys talk about?"

Ruby facepalmed just as a loud shout was heard behind her causing her to jump into her sister's arms. "YOU!"

"Oh god! Not again!"

X

After some time had passed, Professor Ozpin stepped onto the stage. Flanked by Glynda Goodwitch as everyone in attendance quieted down to hear the man speak.

"I'll keep this brief." he said into the microphone that was set up, his voice echoing all around the room. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and to acquire new skills. And when you've finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

Everyone listening stood a bit straighter, but his next words stopped them cold. "But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. Wasted energy in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this. But your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you, to take the first step."

When he was finished, the headmaster stepped away from the microphone and walked off stage leaving Professor Goodwitch to speak next. "You will all gather into the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

As the students began to file out of the large room to where they would be sleeping, Adrian hung back a moment and narrowed is eyes at where Ozpin had left.

Something about the man seemed, off, compared to how he was when they first met. His speech was a good one, it made the more eager students focus more on what they can get from the academy in a realistic way. But his tone felt wrong, separated from the present.

He'd have to look into it later, for now he'd focus on getting through whatever they had planned for the initiation.

After picking out one of the many lockers that were empty and syncing it to his scroll, he put all of his combat equipment and weapons inside and put a personal passcode for the lock so no one other than himself could get into it. He took his remaining luggage and went into the ballroom where everyone was picking out a spot to sleep in.

The large room had been divided. Girls on one side, boys on the other. It was cliche, but to some it was a good course of action given the number of teens there was to deal with.

Rolling his eyes as he watched a few of the guys in his age group trying to catch the attention of the girls, Adrian found a spot in the far corner away from everyone and set up his sleeping area. Unfurling a bedroll he'd used from time to time for when he was out in the wilderness and couldn't find a town to crash in, he removed his shirt and kicked his boots off before laying on the semi-soft surface. Hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling above letting his mind wander.

So much had changed in such a short period of time. But he was more than prepared for any trials and challenges that might await him. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that was the longer time went on, he would end up forging alliances with various people. Maybe even friendships.

The concept was hard to grasp. Of course, he had friends back when he joined FEAR, but now most of them were either dead, MIA or turned against him thanks the Armacham. His level of trust in others had taken a big hit.

Yet Ozpin managed to get through to him enough to convince him to join Beacon. The man was a natural leader and had this ability to get you to understand options that you never thought of. Even though he didn't fully trust the headmaster, he had given the man just enough for the time being.

And then there was Ruby, he knew nothing about her other then that one night but once again she managed to get through to him during their encounter that day.

Something about her innocence sparked something in him that told him he could trust her. And he could tell that she probably couldn't lie to save her life, she was an open book to someone like him.

She was like a free spirit, untainted by the horrors of the world, and in the short time he had gotten to know her he realized that she was also a dreamer. Someone who wanted to save the world and the people in it and ask for nothing in return, it was naive to some, inspiring to others.

But for Adrian...he was just confused about it all. He'd never met someone like her before, it was a bit hard to understand. But maybe it was just something that didn't need to be explained, and thus he decided to leave it alone for now. Though he couldn't shake the feeling that there was just something about Ruby that caught his attention.

The aura of happiness and warmth that seemed to surround her was almost infectious, he'd never felt something like that before. It both intrigued him and bothered him at the same time, though he couldn't tell which side was winning out.

Checking his watch, the teen saw that it was getting late and noticed that many of the other students had already turned in for the night. Deciding to get as much sleep as possible, he took a deep breath and calmed his thoughts before closing his eyes. Allowing the hands of sleep to claim him moments later.

X

 _Bright lights shined down from above, blinding from every direction._

 _"Where are you taking him!"_

 _"Take her back to the Vault."_

 _"NO! GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!"_

 _The scene changed to that of a long hallway that led to a set of double doors at the end. His boots echoing off the tiled floor as he approached the windows and looked into the hospital room beyond to see a young woman strapped to a bed struggling like a trapped animal._

 _Across from her, a man in a white lab coat passed off a bundle to a nurse who left the room while two guards came in to remove her._

 _There was a blast of dark aura that exploded through the room, sending bloody pieces of the guards across the room and blowing the doors off their hinges throwing him back down the hall to the point where he collided with the far wall._

 _Everything around him faded, but he was aware of the fact that he was now laying in a pool of blood that was steadily getting larger around him. Looking up, he saw the woman standing before him, hospital gown, face and arms renched in blood that dripped down to the floor as she looked down at him._

 _"They deserve to die...They all deserve to die..."_ _she said ominously as the blood rose up and covered him completely._

X

Adrian shot awake, inhaling deeply as he looked around the room before calming himself as the dream faded from his mind.

The sun had just started peeking over the horizon and started shining warm light through the large windows while the occupants continued to slumber. According to his watch, it was just after 5:30 in the morning, since there wasn't any point in trying to go back to sleep he got up anc cleared his sleeping area before grabbing a spare pair of clothes and heading to the locker room.

Stepping out in a pair of digital camo pants, his boots and a black underarmor shirt, he headed to the cafeteria where the staff had just started cooking. Grabbing a few pieces of toast and a cup of coffee before sitting down and enjoying the silence. Mentally preparing himself for the combat zone that he would be tossed into with the other hopefuls in a few hours.

Though compared to fighting cloned super soldiers, fighting Grimm was nothing in comparison.

A few hours passed and the other students started to trickle in, rubbing sleep from their eyes or talking excitedly or nervously amongst one another while they prepared for the day to come as well.

Adrian watched them out of the corner of his eye while sipping his coffee, wondering how many of them would pass by the end of initiation. Some looked promising, others not so much, though only time would tell with them.

Finished with his small breakfest, he stood up and left the cafeteria and headed to the locker room again to gather his gear. Finding a couple other students who were already there getting ready who looked eager for the challenge. Among them was Ruby and Yang who were talking amongst themselves by their own lockers, and Weiss who was talking with a tall red-head in armor.

Approaching his own locker, he pulled out his scroll and punching in the code he had set before swiping it over the panel causing the door to open for him. Taking out his leg rigs first and fastening them on, taking out his tactical vest next and buckling it in place before gathering the clips for his weapons and slipping them in their proper places.

His guns came next, slipping fresh clips into the Straders and pulling the slides back to chamber rounds into them before slipping them into their holsters, knife going into the scabbard in his right boot and his assault rifle being slipped over his shoulder onto his back.

After gathering a few dust grenades and a handful of medical supplies and putting them in a stachel on his lower back, he picked up his balaclava last before closing the locker and heading toward the exit.

Pausing in mid-stride when he was Jaune trying to be suave with the Schnee heiress who ended up grabbing the spear the girl she had been talking to and throwing it in his direction.

Adrian activated his semblance, the spear reaching halfway toward its target as he approached it and stopped it with his hand on the hilt. When time resumed its normal pace everyone as shellshocked to see him standing there with the weapon in hand.

"W-What...How...?" Weiss sputtered having not seen the man move.

The ex-FEAR operative glared at her before handing the weapon back to the girl it belonged to, not taking his eyes off the heiress making her take a step back at the dark look he was giving her.

"Will all students gather at Beacon cliffs for initiation." Professor Goodwitch's voice came over the PA system snapping them all back to the present as they all finished getting ready. Adrian turned and left the room, pulling on his mask along the way as he headed in the direction of the cliffs.

"Well...that was interesting." said Yang referring to what they had seen.

"It was impressive." said Pyrrah Nikos as she looked down at her spear. "I've never seen someone with reflexes like that, he moved so fast I didn't even see him."

Ruby watched Adrian as he left and couldn't help but wonder what else he was capable of. And was silently hoping that she'd get the chance to see him in action in the Emerald forest.

X

The first year students all gathered on the cliffs outside of the schools campus. Below them, the massive expanse of trees that made up the Emerald forest stretched out far for them showing nothing but green as far as the eye could see.

Each future huntsman/huntress were standing on small metal platforms with the symbol of Beacon on them as they regarded Professor Ozpin as he stood beside Professor Goodwitch as he started speaking to them.

"For years you have trained to become warriors. And today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald forest." he started allowing his associate to pick up the rest.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given team mates...today."

A brief pause went through the gathered students. A subtle 'What?' came from Ruby while the headmaster continued where Goodwitch had left off. "These team mates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

The red cloaked girl shrieked 'WHAT?!' even louder while several others muttered between themselves. "After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest." Ozpin said motioning to the massive wooded area behind him. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path...or you will die."

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his mouth set into a hard line behind his balaclava as he clenched his fists in anticipation for the coming fight.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation." the headmaster continued. "But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one, and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand, "Uh, yeah, um, sir? How-"

"Good." Ozpin said acting as though he didn't hear them. "Now, take your positions."

All the students braced themselves on their platforms as each one started ticking. The ex-FEAR operative crouched slightly, taking into account the sudden thrust that would end up launching them all into the air in moments.

Beside him, the students started launching off one after another. He mentally ticked down the time before it was his turn while his mind thought up the best scenarios for a safe landing as he felt his platform start to shutter.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ozpin glance in his direction and give him a subtle nod. The next thing he knew he was airborne, the others shortly following as they all flew over the forest toward their mission objective.

Adrian smirked as the wind whipped past him, the Grimm had no idea what was coming their way at muzzle velocity.

A/N: And initiation has begun, will our hero find a team, or is he destined to be a lone wolf once again? There were a couple of moments where Adrian has stepped outside his usual persona, but given the way things are at Beacon he may or may not go through more changes so long as his past doesn't claim him completely. And with Alma watching him, there is too many variables to be sure of at this time.

Till next time guys!


	5. Interval 04 - Initiation

A/N: Hay guys, how's it going? It took me a bit longer to write this chapter than I thought. After re-playing the first FEAR, and re-watching the first eight episodes of RWBY I finally managed to put it together. And many of you are expecting a certain _encounter_ to occur in the terms of family. I will tell you now, you won't be disappointed.

(I don't own RWBY or FEAR)

The forest surrounding Beacon was calm, the sun shining down from the blue sky above as the creatures that lived within the foliage went about their business. Completely unaware of what was about to come crashing into their midst.

Though the last thing anyone or anything would expect would be a group of teenagers flying overhead and landing among the trees after being launched from a cliff from miles away.

Each student using their own method to either try and gain more distance, or land in the Emerald forest as safely as possible. Adrian followed the flight path of each of his fellow initiates as he contemplated his own descent.

Ruby's sister Yang seemed to have the best method of gaining more speed, using her shotgun gauntlets to launch herself even farther with each blast she fired behind her. It would get her closer to the temple where their objective was located.

Tilting his body to the side in time to avoid a tall tree, he scanned the surrounding area for a safe place to land and found a small body of water not too far from his trajectory. Snapping his arms and legs out to slow his momentum, Adrian maneuvered himself so that he was aimed in the right direction.

At the same time, he flared his aura and surrounded his body with it like a shield as he tucked his arms and legs into himself seconds before he crashed into the surface of the pond. Sending water spraying in all directions as he disappered from sight.

Everything settled in moments, leaving a still silence throughout the forest before the ex-FEAR operative broke through the surface. Breathing in the fresh air before swimming toward the shore not too far away. Thankfully his gear and scroll were waterproof, so he didn't have to worry about any of it being damaged from the landing as he stepped out of the pond and looked at the surrounding trees to get his barings.

The cliffs where they were launched from was facing North-East, and the temple was supposed to be farther to the North several clicks away from the academys campus. Looking up at the sun and its position in the sky, Adrian calculated the direction he needed to go and headed that way.

Shaking a bit of water that was still on him, he removed his assault rifle from his back. Pulling the bolt handle to chamber the first round in the clip as he moved among the trees.

X

On the cliffs overlooking the Emerald forest, Professor Ozpin stared down at his scroll in tablet form. Monitoring the progress of the young huntresses and huntsmen that had been catapulted into the vast landscape nearly half an hour ago.

Behind him, Professor Goodwitch approached with her own scroll in hand as she came up and stood next to the headmaster. "Our last pair has been formed, sir." she said waving a couple screens aside that depicted what the cameras within the forest were broadcasting. "Nora Valkarie and Lie Ren. Poor boy, I can't possibly imagine the two of them getting along." she lamented.

"Still," she moved on to another screen showing Jaune walking through the foliage with Pyrrah. "He's probably better off than Ms. Nykos."

Ozpin hummed as he kept his focus on the screen before him. "I don't care what his transcripts say." Goodwitch continued. "That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." She exited out of the screen and looked out at the forest. "But, I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Pulling up another screen, her eyes roved over the visage of Adrian as he raised his weapon and gunned down two Beowolves that were blocking his path. "The only one that seems to be without a partner is Mr. Wade. Given the odd number of initiates this year it seems he is the one that may find the most trouble getting a team."

Closing down her scroll Goodwitch turned and began making her way back to the school. "At their current pace, they should all reach the temple in a few minutes." She turned and regarded her boss, "Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" he didn't answer her which made her a bit concerned. "Professor Ozpin?"

The headmaster kept his eyes locked on his scroll, watching the progress of two students in particular as they continued on with their mission.

X

Another Beowolf fell with a cluster of rounds through its head, its body dissolving in black mist while the one who killed it stepped over its form.

Adrian dumped the spent clip from his rifle and loaded a fresh one as he kept moving. So far the opposition hadn't been too bad, a handful of Grimm thus far at best, though he had heard gunfire and explosions somewhere else in the forest meaning the others also met up with opposition.

Continuing his path through the trees, rifle leading him, the ex-FEAR operative kept his senses on high alert as he looked from shadow to shadow. Not just for the Grimm, but to ensure that there wasn't friendly-fire if another student crossed his path at the wrong moment.

His steps were slow, deliberate as he made as little noise as possible. Overhead birds chirped from the branches above as they watched the figure in black make his way through the forest below them.

The sound of a twig snapping caused Adrian to snap his rifle in that direction, eye down the sights as he waited for anything else to happen.

A squirrel came out of the bushes and chittered at him before darting away, allowing him to relax his stance a bit and started moving again. Eyes still sweeping from left to right as he picked his way through the foliage.

Sudden movement out of the corner of his eye had his weapon up at the ready again. A shadow that darted around the trees on his left that was too big to be a woodland animal.

Flicking the fire-selector on his assault rifle to full-auto, Adrian moved in that direction. The last thing he wanted was to be attacked from behind, so he'd deal with the possible threat now and eliminate a possible issue that could arise later.

A few seconds passed without a sign of anything, but he did start to notice the lack of sounds of the Emerald forest. The birds that had been happily chirping had stopped, and not even the insects in the grass made a noise. Nothing but a tense silence that stretched around in every direction, almost like the wildlife was too afraid to make a sound.

Grip tightening on his weapon, the teen picked his way carefully around the trees. Coming upon a small clearing moments later where he pressed his back to a tree to stay out of sight. Taking a deep breath before he stormed around the tree.

Though he wasn't expecting what he saw next...

The clearing was littered with the bodies of dead Ursa. Each one in various levels of evaporating into the air while the ground was stained with their dark blood.

After making sure that there wasn't any immediate threats, Adrian stepped slowly out into the open, moving around an Ursa that had been torn in half as he examined the scene more closely.

To an outside observer, it looked like they had been killed by the students on their way to the temple. But that wasn't what happened. Looking a bit closer at the corpses, he saw that some were missing their heads, while others looked like they had been torn apart from the inside out. No weapon was capable of doing such damage and not leave dust residue or bullet casings.

Adrian narrowed his eyes, he'd seen this kind of slaughter before...only it hadn't been Grimm on the receiving end.

A deep grow had him spinning around with his AR at the ready. An Ursa Major lumbered its way out of the trees, its massive size breaking several branches thanks to the large spikes that covered its back.

The Grimm peered down at the fading bodies of what must have been its pack before looking up at the teen that was standing amongst them. The growl in the back of its throat turned visious as its red eyes glowed brighter than before. Standing at its full height on its hind legs, the large Grimm let loose a bellowing roar of fury before charging forward.

Adrian wasted no time in pulling the trigger of his weapon, a barrage of rounds peppering the hide of the Ursa Major. But the creature of darkness simply shrugged off the rounds, even when blood was spilled, as it closed the gap between them and slashed with its massive paws.

Flaring his aura, the teen ducked and rolled beneath the strike as it came at a fraction of the speed. Emptying the rest of his weapons clip into the Grimm's exposed side as time returned to normal.

Growling in confusion when its claws racked the ground instead of flesh, the Ursa Major spun around hoping to find its prey. This had given Adrian enough time to reload and fire a short burst into the creatures leg, the rounds tearing through its knee making it drop to the ground. The ex-FEAR operative ran at the Grimm, shouldering his rifle and leaping up onto its back using the spikes for support.

Roaring, the Ursa Major began to thrash around trying to dislodge him. But the teen's grip remained strong. Pressing his booted feet against two other spikes for extra support, he reached into his stachel and pulled out a dust grenade. Pulling the pin and holding the fuse switch down as he activated his semblence again.

Time now slown, he lept up to the Grimms shoulders. Pulling down on its lower jaw to open its mouth wider before tossing the explosive inside.

When the effects of his ability wore off, Adrian leapt from the creatures back and rolling off to the side just as it exploded from the inside. Blackened blood and bits of bone and armor splattering across the grass while broken spikes shot out and pierced through nearby trees.

With the threat terminated, the teen stood back up and surveyed his surroundings again.

 **"You're skills are as sharp as ever, brother."** Adrian whirled around, rifle to his shoulder aimed down range as he saw the last person he wanted to see coming out of the forest. Looking exactly the same as he did months ago, save for the red aura that surrounded his body and the bloody hole in the center of his forehead.

Paxton Fettel strolled across the grass, hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the carnage that surrounded the two of them. **"Even I must admit, killing the creatures of darkness is very...relaxing."** he said in a laid back manor while his older brother kept his weapon trained on him.

Adrian followed the other teen's movements with the same sharpness he would his enemies. He hadn't forgotten what had happened not so long ago, and was ready to pull the trigger if he had to.

Looking in his direction, the apparitaion sighed, **"Honestly, must you resort to violence every time you encounter** _ **family**_ **?"** he asked, coming to a stop two meters infront of his older brother

The ex-FEAR operative narrowed his eyes at Paxton who merely smirked picking up on the question in his mind, **"You can't run from the bond forged between us, brother. The same one that ties us to mother. Forever bound by blood. Deep within your being, you know this to be true. No matter how much you hope to deny it."**

Even though neither Paxton, or Alma, could see into his mind. They were able to pick up on his outward thoughts which allowed a form of communication to be open. Something Adrian used now since they were now face to face.

Paxton rolled his eyes, **"If we're going to be throwing around blame, I'm afraid I would win the argument. You did** _ **kill me**_ **after all."** he stated while tapping the bullet hole in his head. He received a harsh glare in response. **"Must you be dramatic? The Replicas could barely touch you, let alone kill you. And besides, you know full well that if I wanted you dead I could have done so at any time I wished."**

Adrian flipped him off and turned to leave. Only to look up and see the apparition standing before him blocking his path. **"Are we really going to play this game? I am not a mortal, brother. You can't simply ignore me and I'll go away. You should have thought of that before you struck me down."**

 **"And don't believe for a second that you'll be able to kill me again like you did before. It would be foolish to attempt to smight a being of pure aura with bullets. Brute strength will get you nowhere with me."**

The older brother gritted his teeth behind his face mask in agitation, all but shouting in his mind at Paxton who smirked again. **"The** _ **real**_ **reason I am here? That should be obvious. You know as well as I do that Armacham will stop at nothing to reaquire mother, and will use the only still living connection she has to do so. Meaning** _ **you**_ **."**

He motioned to Beacon in the distance, **"The school that has allowed you entry, although impressive and well deserving of its place, cannot hide you forever. And your abilities will only protect you for so long. In order to ensure both yours and mother's safety, I will do what is needed to help you."**

This statement had Adrian in disbelief. Having someone who tried to kill you with a battalion of clones, who turned out to be your twisted younger brother, suddenly offer aid was far beyond the realm of understanding. Relation or not, the older teen wasn't falling for it.

Paxton picked this up and sighed, **"Whether you believe my words or not means nothing. Keeping mother, and by extension** _ **you**_ **, away from the people that imprisoned us like rats all those years takes presidence."** another blade-like smile appeared on his pale face, **"Besides, isn't the rules of this initiation you're undergoing involve partnering up with the first person you see?"**

Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. No matter how much he wanted to be rid of the being before him, no amount of bullets or mental cursing would do the job. So for now he conceited and just started walking in the direction of the temple like before.

Still smirking from his minor victory over his brother, Paxton turned to look into the forest. Casually raising his hand at a nearby bush and causing a struggling Boarbatusk to rise into the air squealing as its body was encased in red aura.

The apparition closed his hand and the small Grimm was crushed by an unseen force. Its cries being silenced as its body was reduced to a pulpy mass of dark twisted flesh and bone before it was thrown aside like garbage. Its killer teleported beside the ex-FEAR operative and fell in step with him.

 **"I can't understand your distrust in me now, brother. Afterall, who was it that helped you escape the prison Armacham was holding you?"** Adrian bit back a growl when the incident was brought up.

X _Flashback_ X

 _"Answer the fucking questions!" a man in an ATC uniform bellowed as he delivered a powerful right cross to the teen's face while he was on his knees with his hands bound behind his back. A second man standing a few feet behind with his arms crossed as he watched his partner work over the prisoner._

 _The room they were in was filthy, walls covered in decay and the furniture had rust on them. The only light in the room was from a lone hanging bulb that flickered overhead._

 _"We know you're the first prototype." The man said slamming his fist home again, sending spit and blood spraying from Adrian's mouth. The ATC guard stepped back, shacking his hand while his partner took over._

 _"We know you killed your brother. We also know that you saw your mother get released. Where is she?" he demanded._

 _Adrian said nothing. His face was a map of black, blue and purple tissue, blood dripping from his busted lip and his nose from the repeated hits. He refusing to give in even if he did have a voice to speak with._

 _The guard growled and punched him in the stomach. "Where is she hiding?!" he roared before punching the teen in the face sending more blood spraying to the side._

 _They continued to work over the prisoner, doing everything they could to get him to break. "Son of a bitch!" one of them exclaimed as he shook his hand again from the strain of hitting him over and over. "This kid's either really tough or really stupid."_

 _His partner knelt down and pulled his combat knife out. "If you ain't gonna use that tongue to speak, I'll cut it out of your fucking head! So if I were you, I'd start talkin' right fucking now!"_

 _While he was speaking, Adrian took notice of something slipping through the wall behind the other guard out of the corner of his eye. A moment later, he started to convulse wildly for a few seconds before going still. Eyes glowing red as he slowly crept up behind the other ATC guard who placed the blade of his knife beneath the teen's throat._

 _"Last chance kid, you'd better give up the information before-" he turned slowly when he heard footsteps behind him. A moment later his head was grabbed and viciously snapped to the side._

 _Adrian yanked hard on the bonds that were holding him, the plastic zip-ties breaking as he snatched the knife falling from the now dead man's hand and slicing the still standing ones throat. A fountain of crimson sprayed in all directions as the corpse fell to the ground, revealing his brother, Paxton Fettel, standing in his place._

 _ **"Come, brother. It is time for you to leave this place."**_ _said the younger brother, holding out his hand toward the locked door causing it to swing open. Turning back and smirking at Adrian, he slowly started to dissolve into ashes._ _ **"Have fun."**_

 _The ex-FEAR operative stared at where Paxton had been before gathering up the weapons and ammo of the men that had been killed and making his way out of the prison. Surprised at the sudden appearence of the dead psionic, and even more so that he decided to help him escape. However for right now he'd focus on getting away from Armacham and deal with the other issue later._

 _But somewhere in the back of his mind, something told him that he would be seeing the apparition again soon...too soon._

X _Flashback End_ X

Minutes passed as the two brothers made their way through the Emerald forest. Paxton had been silent ever since they encountered one another which made it easier for Adrian to ignore him and focus on the objective.

They also hadn't encountered any Grimm since he'd killed the Ursa Major. Which he found odd considering the amount of dark aura Paxton's spectral form was giving off should have been like a homing beacon for the creatures.

Even though the trek was made easily, it bothered Adrian with the lack of resistance.

Coming to an opening in the trees, the landscape opened up from the ridge they were standing on revealing the tops of the trees. And in the center was a large clearing where a structure made of grey stone that was crumbling with age.

 **"I believe those are the ruins you seek."** said Paxton as his brother started moving down the hill in that direction. Weapon held tightly incase there was something there waiting.

Both brothers perked up when they heard the sounds of combat and moved a bit quicker, standing in the shadows of the trees surrounding where the ruins were located and peering out to see a group of familiar students amassed by the structure. The ones among them being Ruby, Yang and Jaune while the others were ones that had been seen around campus.

Off to the other side, Adrian saw the girl in spartan armor get swatted aside by a Deathstalker that was covered in rocks and loose foliage. Her form crashing to the dirt infront of the others before Yang spoke. "Well, the gang's all here. Now we can die together."

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby exclaimed before charging headlong at the large scorpion Grimm with her scythe at the ready.

The ex-FEAR operative felt dread grip his chest. Not even he was crazy enough to attack a Deathstalker head on, and she was doing so with total abandon. **"This one is either very brave...or very foolish."** Paxton commented as they watched the red cloaked girl attacked the large Grimm and fail before putting her weapon away and retreating.

All eyes went skyward when a loud screech resonated. The form of an enormous Nevermore flew overhead and was following after the young woman, coming to a stop and beating its large wings sending a volley feathers shooting forward and spearing into the ground.

One managed to get lucky and pin Ruby's cloak to the grass stopping her cold, while the rest extended in a long line that stopped her sister who was running out to help her. "Ruby get out of there!" Yang shouted as she tried to break through the barrier.

"I'm...trying!" the younger girl called back as she tried to free her trapped cloak. Her silver eyes looking up and widening when she saw the Deathstalker pretty much on top of her, claws wide and stinger lifting into the air preparing to end her life.

Ruby couldn't move, couldn't even breath as she looked her own demise in the face. She barely registered Yang screaming her name as the stinger came down with lightning speed, kicking dirt into the air when it crashed down.

Everyone looked on in horror. Weiss skidded to a stop mid-strike beside Yang when she realized she was too late and hadn't acted quick enough to her partner's plight. But when the dust settled, that horror morphed into confusion and shock when they saw the Deathstalker's tail impaled into the ground.

But Ruby was nowhere to be found.

"W-What?" Yang said as she looked all over the place, her lilac colored eyes widening more when she found her.

X

Ruby opened her silver eyes slowly, expecting to see a white light and angels. Instead, she found herself in a pair of strong arms pressed against an equally strong chest within a black tactical vest.

Looking up slowly, she met a pair of grey eyes looking back at her from behind a balaclava. "A-Adrian?" she asked in a whisper.

The ex-FEAR operative nodded as he stood up, Ruby still in his arms which caused her to blush a bit while he turned and faced the Deathstalker as it pulled its stinger free and clicked its claws. Letting loose a screech of its own before scuttling toward them as fast as its six legs could go.

Adrian narrowed his eyes at the Grimm before he and Ruby vanished in a blur when its stinger came down again. Missing its target and spearing the ground once again. Only this time something was left behind for it in the form of a round object with a snowflake on the surface.

The two teens reappeared with the others as the dust grenade exploded. Encasing the Deathstalker's claws and stinger in place with a wall of ice. Adrian knew that none of them had the firepower to handle an enemy like that, so immobilization was the best course of action for the time being.

"Ruby!" Yang shouted, running up and embracing her sister in a bearhug when the ex-FEAR operative set her down. "I'm so glad your safe." she whispered on the verge of tears.

"I'm okay, Yang." replied the younger girl hugging her back. "I'm...I'm sorry. I just wanted to prove that I could do this."

While the sisters interacted, Paxton took that moment to appear beside his brother. Invisible to everyone save for Adrian. **"Playing the hero, are we?"** he asked crossing his arms.

Adrian didn't even look at him as he watched the two sisters with one another, how they interacted and how much like family they seemed to one another even in the heat of combat. Even Paxton was observing the scene before turning away and looking into the sky. **"The Nevermore is coming back. Perhaps you should break up this happy reunion for another time."**

Tapping both girls on the shoulders, the ex-FEAR operative motioned with his head to where the avian Grimm was circling back before nodding toward the temple. Both sisters nodded as they regrouped with the others.

"Does, uh, anyone have a plan?" asked Jaune nervous as he looked to where the Nevermore was currently flying.

"There's no point in dilly-dallying," said Weiss motioning to the relics before them, which turned out to be a bunch of chess pieces. "Our objective is right infront of us."

Ruby nodded, "She's right. Our mission is to collect an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things." her partner smiled and nodded knowing that they agreed.

"Run and live. That is something I can get behind." replied Jaune as he and Ruby each collected a 'relic' from the ones avaliable.

Adrian looked the chess pieces over, wondering the significance of them and what they could represent. Paxton appeared beside him doing the same as he put a hand to his chin. **"The headmaster must judge the teams depending on the pieces that are collected. Each one must signify a quality of skill per group."**

Even though there was little to no trust between them, the older of the two brothers couldn't help but agree with his words as he reached out and picked up the black knight piece. Something within him told him that it was the best choice as he slipped it into a spare pocket in his vest.

Across the field, the ice encasing the Deathstalker started to crack and splinter. This was more than enough insentive for the teenage hunters to to make haste and run. All of them making it over the hill and toward another set of ruins.

Back at the temple, Paxton picked up the black knight piece that was identical to the one his brother retrieved. A smirk stretching across his face as the relic was covered in his aura and crumbled to dust in his palm. His body vanishing in a flash of ashes as the Deathstalker broke free from its prison and chased after the students.

X

The nine teens ran full sprint toward the old temple ahead of them. The Nevermore flew past them above, heading straight toward the central tower that stood before the cliffs where it perched and shrieked down at them as they split up and took cover behind the various columns that made up the ruins.

"Well that's great." muttered Yang from her spot beside Ruby. The treeline behind them exploded as the Deathstalker burst forth. Slightly slower than before given that one of it's six legs was damaged, but that seemed to spur it on even more as it went after its prey.

"Oh man, RUN!" Jaune shouted as they started moving again. The Nevermore rose up from its perch and started flapping its wings, preparing to launch a barrage of feathers at them.

"Nora! Distract it!" said Ren as his partner dodged the spear-like projectiles, pulling the grenade launcher from her back and started firing on the avian Grimm. The pink explosions driving the Nevermore off.

Nora turned around and found the Deathstalker coming up on her, preparing to attack when a barrage of bullets peppered its head. Adrian emptying the clip of his assault rifle and distracting it as Blake and Ren struck it with their own weapons and driving it back a couple of steps.

Weiss dropped down and grabbed Nora, a white glyph appearing beneath them as they lept away while the ex-FEAR operative reloaded and ran after them. Tossing a grenade over his shoulder that exploded and keeping the large Grimm at a distance as they all made for the far end of the ruins. All of them crossing a bridge made of stone while Pyrrah covered them with her spear as it transformed into a rifle,

Adrian dropped down beside her and provided support as the others ran past them, using his enhanced reflexes to focus on his target. Both Ren and Blake doing the same with their respected weapons before making another break for it.

The Deathstalker was too large to fit on the bridge...however that didn't stop the Nevermore as it came barreling toward the fleeing teens as they reach the halfway point.

"Look out!" shouted Yang as the massive bird crashed into the bridge. Adrian, Ruby, Yang, Nora, Weiss and Jaune winding up on one side while the others were on the other squaring off against the Deathstalker.

Ruby switched her scythe to rifle mode and started shooting at the Nevermore as it flew away, Adrian doing the same until the creature was out of sight.

"We gotta get over there, they need help!" Jaune shouted as he watched Blake get knocked back by the large scorpion.

"Lets do this!" said Nora standing beside him with her grenade launcher at the ready.

The blonde male looked down at what was left of the bridge, "Yeah, but I...can't make that jump." he said swallowing the lump in his throat.

Nora grinned at him before knocking him back as her launcher transformed into a large warhammer. Leaping into the air, she brought it down hard on the end of the bridge causing it to catapult Jaune to the other side. Flipping the weapon around and stepping on to it, the orange haired girl pulled the trigger on the handle which sent her rocketing across the chasm. Her attack on the Deathstalker accidentally knocking Blake from the bridge.

The dark-haired girl bringing out her weapon attatched to a long ribbon and throwing it into a wall, swinging upward and teleporting herself on to the Nevermore as he came around. Slashing the creatures back before leaping off and landing beside the others as they stood on the central tower.

Adrian reloaded his weapon and layed down a constant stream of rounds as the Nevermore made another pass. The girls did the same, all of them throwing everything they had at the creature as it came straight for them. "JUMP!" Ruby shouted as the Grimm slammed through the tower, causing the whole thing to collapse.

Activating his semblance, the ex-FEAR operative ran along the portion of the structure he had been standing on while it fell in slow motion. Slapping his rifle on his back as he leapt into open air, landing on the platform where the tower had once been as he took his weapon back out and started shooting again.

Everyone else managed to get to safety and started to find vantage points to attack. Weiss looked at their opposition and shook her head, "This isn't working." she said spinning the chamber of her rapier.

Ruby looked at everyone a moment before going back to the Nevermore. "Wait! I got an idea!" she called out before sprinting off.

Yang stood atop a still standing column fighting blasts from her gauntlets as the Nevermore came back around. Leaping out and into the creature's mouth before firing several blasts into its mouth.

"I. Hope. You're. Hun-GRY!" she bellowed with each shot before jumping out as it crashed headfirst into the clifface.

Everyone else regrouped back on to the central platform as the Nevermore stood back up and shrieked at them. Weiss activated another of her glyphs and shot froward like a bullet, stabbing her rapier into the Grimm's tail, a glacier of ice sprining forth and freezing it in place as she returned to where Yang and Blake had set up using the dark-haired girl's ribbon as a slingshot.

Adrian kept his rifle trained on the trapped Grimm to provide support, already seeing Ruby's plan coming together as the girls all took positions. Ruby literally riding her scythe as she placed herself in the center of the ribbon, her partner using a black glyph to pull it back.

"Only you would come up with this plan." Weiss commented as they prepared themselves.

"Think you can make the shot?" asked the red cloaked girl.

The heiress hmm'd, "Can I?"

Ruby blinked before looking at her, "Can you-"

"Of course I can!" Weiss exclaimed as they focused again. Ruby chambered a fresh round into her weapon while her partner slashed her rapier, firing the red cloaked girl directly at the Nevermore. Firing her weapon to give her more momentum as the blade of her scythe hooked around the creature's neck.

Her boots hit the surface of the cliff, Weiss summoning a long line of glyphs that shot up toward the top as Ruby started sprinting. The Nevermore being dragged along with her the whole way before they reached the edge. With one strong pull, the Grimm was beheaded as the girl in red landed safely on the top of the cliff, the body of the creature falling into the chasm below as she turned and stood at the ledge to look down at them.

Adrian was impressed as he starred up at the younger girl. Not only had her plan worked, but she managed to kill a being that was easily a hundred times her size. Even he would have a bit of trouble trying to pull something like that off.

"Well...that was a thing." said Yang with a bit of pride in her voice.

X

It had taken a while, but the nine students managed to regroup back at the main ruins and start making their way to the cliffs. Without the two giant Grimm dogging them at every turn, they were looking at a good trek back to where the initiation started.

Several of them were winded, but other than a couple scrapes and bruises they weren't the worse for ware. They were halfway through a large clearing when Jaune suddenly spoke up getting their attention. "Uh...guys?"

The treeline ahead of them started moving, the shadows seeming to come alive as red eyes appeared in the darkness. A pack of Beowolves slowly stalked out into the open, roughly two dozen with one easily twice the size of the others bringing up the rear, clearly the Alpha.

Each of them prepared weapons, but paused when they saw Adrian walk past them and approach the pack of Grimm. "Adrian?! What the hell are you doing?!" Yang called after him, but he ignored her as he leered at the Beowolves from behind his mask.

A small flare of aura told him that Paxton had appeared on his right side. **"Seems we have ourselves a little challenge."** spoke the psionic with a grin. The Beowolves all growled as they started to advance slowly forward.

Blood seeped down from the bullet hole in Paxton's head as his aura flared a bit more in anticipation while his older brother pulled the bolt handle of his rifle. **"Time to play, brother."**

A/N: Now how do you like that? But will this reunion between brothers be a partnership...or a rivalry? That still remains to be seen.

And incase I have any possible flames coming to me, Adrian does NOT trust Paxton. After what transpired between them, no way in hell can anything pass at the time being. But the Pointman knows that his brother comes and goes as he pleases and he can't really stop him. So it's more of him tolerating Paxton with a very, _very_ , shaky truce for the time being. And we all know that little brother always has his own agenda...

We all know how the sudden partnership with the two of them in F3AR threw a lot of us off given their past history, so I decided to tinker with that and hope for the best. Regardless, I hope you're all entertained so far. And with Fettel around Beacon, who knows what might happen. Till next time folks!


	6. Interval 05 - Team

A/N: Three more days, and another installment to send to the masses. Given that the popularity of this story is steadily rising I'm doing my best to ensure that everything is good for you readers.

A couple of people have asked me the bit about Adrian's semblance. If you've ever played FEAR, then you know that the reflex/slowmo ability is very useful in combat. Making you faster, but your enemies and weapons fall into the same distortion making it easier for you to dodge bullets. It has also been known to activate when in highly dangerous situations. So in making this a semblance, I made it so that Adrian could activate it at will, but at the same time his aura will respond to scenarios where his life could be at risk, like a defense mechanism.

And yes, there will be limits to how much he can use it. Distorting the time around him will have a tendency to eat a lot of aura. It's just the nature of things.

With that out of the way, here's the next chapter! ( I don't own FEAR or RWBY)

X _Many Years Ago X_

 _In unknown location, within a small room shaped like a half circle, two young boys sat side by side drawing together. Both of them were dressed the same, wearing matching white jumpsuits. One of which had 'P1' imprinted on the front, while the other who was paler compared to the first had a bandage wrapped around his head with 'P2' on his._

 _The room was very sparse in terms of funiture, just a bed on either side where the walls were marked with the same designation as on their clothes. There was also a couple of bedside tables, and a small tv sitting on a stand infront of a large mirror that covered the entire other wall._

 _Everything was silent as they continued to draw respectedly. The pale boy looked over at his room mate, eyes being drawn to the other boy's neck where a series of bloody bandages were wrapped._

 _"Does it hurt?" he asked getting the other boy's attention. He received a shrug for an answer before the only door leading in or out of the room opened making them stand up immediately._

 _The tall man stepped in, the same one that came every so often taking one, the other, or both of them out to do a series of things. Some of them like puzzels and games, others were...more painful and scare. Looking up from the clipboard in his hand, he motioned to the pale boy._

 _"Come, P2. Time for a check up." he said in a dead tone._

 _The boy stood and made his way to the door, his room mate looking after him in worry. The last time he had left the room...the people outside hurt him. Hurt him bad, hurt him until he couldn't scream anymore from the pain. And now he couldn't talk...one of the doctors even said that he'd never speak again._

 _As the other boy left the room, the man sent a glare that frightened him to the pit of his being. "Worthless." he muttered before the door slammed closed leaving him in silence._

 _Sometime later...he heard the screaming from somewhere beyond the door._

X Present X

(A/N: Play 'Bad Machine' by Dark Stares)

Adrian leered at the Beowolf pack as they started to close in on him. Beside him, Paxton stood with his arms crossed over his chest, grinning in anticipation of the coming fight that was about to take place.

Behind them, the other eight students readied their weapons, but the ex-FEAR operative held up his hand clenched in a fist telling them to hault. This was his fight.

The Alpha of the Grimm howled and the others surged forward toward their target. Adrian smirked behind his mask as he flared his aura causing time to slow as he activated his semblance.

His rifle came up and fired short controlled bursts into the coming wall of Beowolves. Four of them fell dead slowly with various parts of their heads blown off, three others tripping when rounds tore through their hunched legs causing the ones behind them to trip over them.

Reloading his rifle when time resumed as normal, he switched to full auto and emptied the entire clip at the rest of the Grimm as they closed in more.

Paxton had enough of standing on the sidelines and snapped his hand out, a wave of red aura launching from his palm and freezing four of the creatures in place allowing Adrian to kill them easily.

Slinging the spent rifle over his shoulder, the older brother drew both Strader pistols and started shooting again. Activating his reflexes and dodged underneath several claws swipping at him. Spinning around and shooting the attacking Beowolves in the back of the heads, pulling a grenade from his belt and activating it before tossing it into the closest group of the creatures .

The following explosion sent blackened blood and body parts flying in all directions as Adrian dumped the spent clips from his pistols and quickly reloaded. His semblance came to an end as he ran at the remaining Beowolves, one of them leaping in his direction forcing him to drop to the ground and slide across the grass shooting upward punching holes into the Grimm as it passed over him.

A few feet away, Paxton raised his hand. Two of the creatures yelped as they were hoisted into the air through his powers before he causally flung them. Their bodies impaled through various tree branches on the other side of the clearing, their forms going lifeless as they dangled above the ground with blood already starting to pool beneath them.

While this was happening, the other initiates looked on with their mouths agape. To them, Adrian was nothing more than a blur that zipped around the small battlefield while the Grimm fell dead quickly one after another.

"How...How is he doing that?" asked Weiss stunned as the ex-FEAR operative appeared with his knife driven up through a Beowolf's lower jaw before firing three rounds into its heart with his pistol.

Nora clapped her hands, "Is he a ninja?!" she exclaimed in excitement. Ren rolled his eyes beside her, but couldn't take his gaze away from the one literally tearing through the Grimm.

Ruby didn't say a word as she watched in wonder an awe. She'd seen his combat prowess briefly before, but never to the level of skill he was showing now. "Wow..." he mumbled as more Beowolves fell to his onslaught.

However, Blake was the only one that looked the most alert at what she was witnessing. Even though Adrian's skill was beyond impressive, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Given that she was a cat-faunus hidding in plain sight, she had hightened senses beyond that of regular humans. And ever since the fight started she felt something else in the field with them. Another presense that they couldn't see. Not to mention that her sharp eyes picked up a strange red glow that surrounded a couple of Beowolves before they were viciously cut down. It was subtle, but still there.

She couldn't explain it, but whatever she was feeling wasn't coming from Adrian. And it felt... _darker_ than even the Grimm.

Adrian swung his assault rifle around, the stock caving in the mask and skull of another Beowolf as he raised it to his shoulder and peppered the body of another one that was in mid-lunge. Both creatures falling to the ground and starting to dissolve like the others as he turned to face what remained.

The Alpha Beowolf growled menacingly. It's pack lay scattered about and fading from existence, its eyes glowing brighter with its fury while baring its teeth at the one that slaughtered them.

Standing up on its hind legs, the large creature skulked past the forms of the fallen. Advancing on the ex-FEAR operative with claws extending to their maximum length to rend the flesh from his bones.

Eyes locked on the Grimm, Adrian dumped the clip from his rifle and slammed a fresh one home as he started walking toward it as well. Behind him, Paxton smirked. **"I'll leave this one to you, brother."** with that he faded away in a burst of ashes, leaving his brother for the time being.

The Alpha let out a bellowing roar before charging, clawed feet kicking up dirt and grass as it tore a path straight to its target. Adrian raised his rifle and opened fire, the Grimm jumped to the side to avoid the coming rounds as they missed and attacked from a different angle.

Narrowing his eyes, the teen activated his reflexes just as his opponent reached him. Dropping his weapon, he ducked under the large set of claws that would have taken his head off before jumping up. Hooking his arm around the large Beowolves' while it was outstretched and flipping up onto its back.

Feeling the human now latched onto it, the Grimm started thrashing to dislodge him. But Adrian had wrapped his left arm tight around its neck preventing it from doing so. Pulling his knife from his boot, he flipped it around and drove it into the creatures right eye, the Alpha howling in agony as it began to thrash even harder.

Pressing his legs into the Alpha's back, the ex-FEAR operative leaped off. Flipping in the air and landing on his feet in a crouch a couple meters away from the enraged Grimm, blood soaked knife still in hand as the creature whirled around and snarled ferally.

Adrian bared his teeth in response before flipping the knife around into reverse grip and ran at it. The Beowolf doing the same with its claws at the ready as the two cleared the distance between them in seconds.

At the last moment, the teen faked right. The Grimm moving in the same direction to intercept which was exactly what he wanted it to do.

Flaring his aura and slowing time again, Adrian leapt up slashing his blade and cleaving a sizable gash in the Alpha's neck. Blood sprayed through the air like a geyser as he touched down behind it.

The Grimm slammed into the ground, blood gushing from its wounded neck as it gagged and sputtered on its own fluids. The ex-Fear operative slipped his knife back into his boot before going over and retrieving his dropped rifle, checking it over for damage briefly before making his way to the others.

Behind him, the Alpha Beowolf managed to stagger back up, attempting to snarl but instead managed to gurgle as blood seeped put between its teeth. Staggering a step toward the teenager as its vision began to fade.

Pausing mid-stride, Adrian reached into his vest and pulled out a small, hand-held device that was no bigger than a marker. Flipping the top open to reveal a red button that he clicked down immediately.

A soft beep was heard on the Grimm's back. A device no bigger than a baseball, black in color with green lights going around it, stuck between two of its spikes flashed red before it exploded. The top half of the Alpha vanishing in a blast of heat and burning flesh as its lower half collapsed burnt to the ground, twitching slightly before going still.

Slipping the detonator back into his vest, Adrian started walking back to the others. All of them having faces of awe, shock and even a bit of fear as they watched him systematically annihalate the whole pack of Beowolves.

Though none of them seemed to notice Paxton having his own fun as well, but perhaps it was for the best that they didn't know of his younger brother's presense.

"Adrian...that was...whoa..." Ruby stuttered as she tried to put the right words together to explain what they had seen.

Adrian smirked beneath his mask before motioning with his head for them to start heading out. The sun was beginning to set, and the last place they should be is out in the forest populated by Grimm in the dark.

They started moving, staying grouped together so that they could keep an eye and ear out for anymore enemies. The ex-Fear operative bringing up the rear and watching their six as they treked their way back to the cliffs.

A few minutes passed before Jaune leaned toward Pyrrah. "I don't know about you...but I really wouldn't want to face that guy in a fight." his partner nodded in agreement. But neither of them knew that Adrian's sharp hearing picked up their words.

In the back of his mind he heard Paxton chuckling.

X

Several hours later, all the students that had completed the initiation stood together on a large stage. The rest of the student body gathered in the large auditorium and looked on as Professor Ozpin stood at the front by a microphone as he addressed all in attendance regarding the new hunters' success after watching their exploits on the many large screens around them.

"Russell Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark. You four retreived the black bishop pieces. From this day forward you will be working as team **CRDL**. Led by, Cardin Winchester." the crowd applauded as the newly appointed team stood proud.

The headmaster turned to the next team as they stood ready. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrah Nykos, and Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as team **JNPR**. Led by, Jaune Arc."

Jaune paled when he heard the man, "Huh?...led by?" he asked while the team congradulated him. Ozpin nodded, "Congradulations, young man." Pyrrah punched Jaune in the arm and he toppled over not expecting it.

Ruby, Yang, Blake and Weiss came next. "Next we have Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will be working together as team **RWBY**. Led by, Ruby Rose."

Ruby stood stunned just before Yang glomped on to her, "I'm so proud of you!" she shouted over the applause.

Ozpin nodded to them before speaking once more, "Adrian Wade." the crowd went silent, a few murmurs heard here and there as the one in question stepped onto the stage alone. Removing his mask as he stood facing the headmaster.

"You retreived the black knight piece, and showed great prowess fighting in the Emerald forest. However, given that you were unable to locate neither a partner, or a team, a decision has been made regarding your situation."

The professor motioned to the holoscreen above as the three teams that had just been formed appeared in a triangle formation with his picture in the center of them. "The rules of Beacon demand to have hunters working together and not alone during their time here. That being said, you will be placed in a team that best matches your skillset as a fifth member."

After speaking, the team names surrounding Adrian's picture started lighting up one after the other as it went around them. Everyone watched with baited breath as they waited for the team to be selected. Meanwhile, each team looked on without blinking, wondering if they would be the one's to gain a fifth member.

Seconds ticked by before a loud ding was heard. The screen went blank before showing the recently formed team...only now it had a new addition;

 **RWBY-A**

A beat passed before everyone started applauding. Ozpin nodded before looking at the silent soldier. "From this day forward you will be working with team RWBY. The name will remain as is, however your inital will be added like the others."

Adrian nodded before spinning on his heel and standing beside his new team. Ruby was bouncing on her heels in excitement, Yang grinned from ear to ear, Weiss and Blake looked calm but still sent glances at their new addition.

The headmaster smiled as he looked at the new hopefuls before him, "Looks like things are shaping up to be an interesting year."

In the shadows above the room on a large beam, a little girl stood watching the ceremony. Eyes trained on the four girls and one young man on the stage before vanishing in a burst of ashes. The lights near where she had been flickering briefly but no one seemed to notice.

X

The ceremony lasted another hour before the students were sent to their assigned dorms in the residential wing of the academy.

After saying their goodbyes to JNPR as they entered their room across the hall, RWBY-A stepped into their living space and looked around at the set up.

Four beds were lined up against the far wall, two closets were set in the across with the door leading into the bathroom beside it. A couple of bedside tables, dressers and desks were set up in various spots along with a couple fo lamps. And among the furniture was their luggage which had already been brought up.

It wasn't overly big, meant for only four people. But the five of them would be able to fit without issue if they could orgamize their stuff just right.

Adrian came in last and scanned the room, finding a cot set up on the other side away from the other beds where his rucksack and duffel bag were already waiting and headed that way. Having already stored his combat gear in his locker earlier with the others when initiation was over, he started rummaging through his things to ensure everything was in its proper place while the girls picked out clothes for bed.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm grabbing a shower." said Yang taking her pajamas into the bathroom and shutting the door before anyone else could say anything.

"And how is this going to work, exactly?" asked Weiss standing beside the bed she had chosen as her own.

Ruby perked up and tilted her head, "What do you mean, Weiss?"

The heiress sighed and motioned toward Adrian, who had his back to them, with her chin. "I don't know, how about the only boy in a room full of girls? Don't you find that a bit... _odd_?"

The ex-FEAR operative turned and sent her a narrowed look. Did she really believe that he would violate their privacy by peeping on them? He'd shared quarters with women before, it doesn't take long for one side to respect the other in terms of living space.

The fact that he was the only male in a group with four females changed nothing to him. They were his team, and he wouldn't treat them like something to gawk at.

Shaking his head, he removed his shirt and sat on the cot to unlace his boots.

Weiss gaped at him, "Hay! At least have the decency...too..." she trailed off as she looked at him. Infact, both Ruby and Blake couldn't seem to find words either. Adrian's upper half was very fit. Pale skin tight over hard muscle that had been hardened due to extensive training.

Standing up to kick his boots off, the contours of his frame became more visible. Six pack abs defined clearly along with broad shoulders and arms. Needless to say, none for the young huntresses in training couldn't take their eyes off him.

Adrian went about his business, unaware that he was being observed so closely by his team mates before the door to the bathroom opened and Yang stepped out already set for bed. She glanced his way and paused before whistling. "Damn...nice pecs." she said in admiration as she looked him up and down.

The ex-FEAR operative looked up and raised an eyebrow at her while the others snapped out of their stupor. Each of them red in the face as they gathered what they needed and took their own turns to shower.

When they were finished, Adrian took his own turn. Stepping under the hot stream and letting his body relax after the long day.

It had been a strange turn of events that occurred in the last 24 hours, the last thing he had expected was for Paxton to suddenly show up out of nowhere. After everything that happened back in Auburn they were bitter enemies even after learning of their origins.

To have him suddenly appear and not try to kill him left him with doubt and a dread. Despite his madness, Paxton was as intelligent as he was devious. And now that he wasn't bound by a physical form he was capable of almost anything now.

What was he up to? And why appear now? It didn't make sense, and Adrian was even more concerned about what the spectre would do within the halls of Beacon now that he was here.

Regardless, he'd beat him once before, he'd to it again if he had to no matter how difficult it could prove.

Ending his shower, wrapping a towel around his waist as he stepped out and approached the clothes he'd picked out for sleeping as he thought about his other situation. Even though he had no issue with being on a team with the four girls he had met previously, he was a little concerned about being around them given what plagued him on a daily basis.

Ever since that mission...everyone around him had suffered in some way. Either gunned down by Replica forces controlled by his brother, torn apart limb from limb by his mother, or driven insane by the nightmares and visons that assaulted their minds. The last thing he wanted was for Ruby and the others to endure the same horrible instances that befell his comrades.

He could still hear the terrfied and painful screams of those he fought beside as they died. Seeing some of them liquidated leaving behind nothing but a large pool of blood and charred skeletons.

Adrian sighed deeply as he pulled on the black wife-beater and shorts he had laid out, there was no going back now. He'd have to handle whatever happens when it does and hope for the best during his time spent here.

Heading back into the dorm, he found the girls already in their beds sleeping peacefully. Grabbing a spare sheet and pillow from the nearest closet, he laid back on his cot and stared at the ceiling above him. The soft chirp of crickets outside the open window filling the void of silence as the shattered moon outside cast a soft glow.

Closing his eyes, the ex-FEAR operative slipped into a light sleep. Thoughts of what the next day would bring at the front of his mind as he drifted away from reality.

X

 **"You still don't remember everything do you? How they locked us away...how** _ **he**_ **locked us away."**

 _Images appeared, two young boys playing together in an isolated room without a care in the world._

 **"Treating us like rats...like monsters."**

 _A man could be seen entering the room, forcing one of the boys' head to the side and injecting him with something before leaving without a word._

 **"He tried to keep us from mother...but he failed."**

 _While the boys slept at night, a girl in a red dress suddenly appeared in the center of the room, watching over the both of them like a silent guardian._

 _ **"...My babies..."**_ _a willowy voice echoed out before she disappeared._

 **"She will always be with us brother...no matter how far from her we distance ourselves."**

X

While Adrian slept a shadow cast itself over his form. Alma stood beside him in her adult form, a long black dress covering her lithe body as she looked down at her eldest son. Reaching her hand out, she ran it along his hair that looked so much like her own.

A soft groan from across the room had her snapping her head to the side, her eyes blazing like fireballs as she looked at the four females in the room. It was the youngest one whoes name was that of a jewel and a flower as she rolled over in her slumber.

Narrowing her gaze a moment, Alma turned back to her child once more before disappearing without a sound.

The moment she was gone, Paxton suddenly appeared sitting in one of the desk chairs on the other side of the room. A smirk playing across his lips, **"This could be quite interesting."** he said to himself as the night went on in silence.

A/N: A bit of a short chapter compared to what I had in mind, but the impact will be just as good. I know you all were probably thinking I would come up with a catchy name with RWBY with the addition of Adrian, but RWBY-A was the best I could come up with. Sorry to disappoint boys and girls, I guess my imagination has limits afterall.

Now with everything falling into place, and with Adrian's family and past following him into Beacon, how will the story change from here on out? Stick around and find out guys, it's gonna be a long ride.


	7. Interval 06 - First Day

A/N: Hello all, been an while since I made an update for this story. But I managed to get everything together after finishing the first arc of another story in order to keep this one alive and strong.

With things about to dip strongly into the RWBY-canon for a while, I've been hard at work trying to make the right changes here and there to make things interesting while at the same time trying to evolve Adrian's personality. Given his past, you know that things will be awkward for him at first given the social interactions he will be facing at Beacon. But much like the missions he survived, he'll face them head on and roll with it.

That in mind, let's face this installment head-on! (I don't own RWBY or FEAR)

Morning came rather quickly for the students of Beacon. Many of the hunters in training taking extra time to either sleep in or gather what supplies they needed for the first day of classes as each one went about their own routine.

In RWBY-A's dorm room, something very different was transpiring. And it all kicked off with the shrill sound of a whistle being blown.

"Good morning team RWBY!" Ruby bellowed happily after jumping down from her bed. Already dressed in her school uniform with the addition of her cloak.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Weiss exclaimed from the floor, the sudden noise having caused her to fall out of bed moments after waking up.

The red clad girl ignored her partner's bitterness, "Now that you're awake, we can begin our first order of business."

The heiress cocked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"Decorating!" Yang exclaimed holding an armful of various things beside Blake, both of whom were already dressed for the day as well.

"What?!" Weiss exclaimed, questioning the sanity of her team mates.

"We still have to unpack." Blake explained holding up one of her suitcases, which broke open spilling he contents onto the floor. "...and clean."

Ruby blew the whistle again, "Alright, Weiss, Blake, Yang and their fearless leader Ruby are about to commense their first mission! Banzai!" she shouted with her fist in the air. Yang and Blake chorusing the phrase on either side of her.

Shaking her head, the Schnee heiress stood back up and brushed her nightgown off before she noticed that something was lacking among their team. Looking over to where their only male member had slept, she found his cot empty and his things neatly put away beneath it.

"Where's Adrian?" she asked.

"Dunno, he wasn't here when we woke up." said Yang as she started hanging a few posters on the nearest wall. "He left a note though." she added pointing at a piece of paper sitting on the desk closest to the door.

 _Went for a morning walk, see you in class. - Adrian._

Ruby glanced over at the note as she was stuffing the drawers of a dresser with her clothes. She was curious as to how he had gotten up and left so easily without waking any of them. But she figured that he needed a little extra time before classes began. So for the moment she didn't think anything of it.

Going back to the task at hand, she managed to jam the overstuffed drawer she was working on closed before heading over to set curtains up.

X

Standing on the roof of the residential wing of the academy, the ex-FEAR operative stood watching the sun slowly rise higher into the air as time slowly ticked by. Reaching a hand up and adjusting the tie he that went with the uniform he was currently wearing.

He wasn't used to such clothing, but it was something he'd have to deal with as long as he was attending classes. Despite how uncomfortable and vulnerable it felt since he was used to wearing armor almost all the time.

Waking up at around five that morning, he got ready while the girl's continued to sleep and slipped out to get some fresh air before everything got started. Even though he was calm and ready for what he would be learning about beside the others, a very small part of him was a bit anxious.

Having not remembering his time in school, if he had ever gone to one in the first place, he wasn't sure what to expect exactly. Though if it was anything like a mission briefing then it shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem, just listen and accurate take notes, simple.

 **"Well, somebody looks ready for their first day."** Adrian rolled his eyes and turned to see Paxton leaning against the railing beside him.

The younger of the two brothers tilted his head, **"Did you not expect me to still be here? You should know better than that by now, brother."**

The ex-FEAR operatiive went back to looking out over the campus, seeing the beginning signs of other students venturing out and moving amongst the buildings below. The apparition coming over and standing beside him, hands behind his back as he spoke again. **"This is not what she wants of you, you do understand that?"**

Paxton turned and looked at him, **"Why is it you fight against what you've been to be a part of since before you were born? Is it the fear of embracing the truth of what you are? Or are you hanging onto the fantasy you were force-fed during our time apart?"**

Adrian remained still, but his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Projecting his thoughts clearly to his brother. **"You can't keep running from our shared past forever, brother. Mother already knows you are here, no doubt she has already paid you visits. She may not be able to see into your mind, but that won't stop her from trying to contact you. I've told you once before, you will need to make a choice. And the time to make it is fast approaching, and you will no longer be able to run. I only hope that you make the right one in the end."** his image faded away leaving the older brother alone.

Taking a few slow breaths, he managed to get his anger back under control. Adrian did remember the last time Paxton mentioned the choice he had been referring to. It was in the hospital he was supposed to get extracted from.

And he also remembered the not so subtle warning in the last moments when he was in the city after the mission;

X _Flashback_ X

 _The sound of the VTOL touching down on the roof of the hospital, Adrian's boots hit the tiled floor as he ran for the doors that led to the extraction point._

 _After taking down the last squad of Replicas that stood between him and freedom, expelling almost all of the ammo he had left in his weapons, the teen was more than happy to leave the city behind him after everything he had seen and experienced._

 _Reaching the end of the small corridor, he reached for the door handle when he heard the pilot shoute over the com-link. "WHAT THE FUCK IS-" whatever he was going to say was cut off as the bullhead exploded. The doors being thrown open as the blast and the debris slammed into it, sending Adrian hurling back down the hallway crashing into the wall at the corner._

 _Pain wracked his body, blood dribbling from his mouth through his balaclava as he coughed it up. Vision fading and dark around the edges as he attempted to stand._

 **"They tried to bury their sins. But instead, planted the seeds of their doom."** _Paxton's voice echoed around him as he managed to stagger to his feet, using the nearest wall to slowly make his way forward, avoiding the burning pieces of wreckage from the destroyed air unit. Heart pounding in his ears as he breathed heavily with each step._

 _Stepping out through the damaged doors and looking at the remains of the bullhead as he heard his brother's voice again._ **"But SHE would not be forgotten! WE will make them remember!"**

 _Feeling hopelessness start to seep in, Adrian limped over to the railing and looked out over the city. Black pillars of smoke billowed into the sky from the many fires that burned out of control. The war against the Replica forces and Armacham having taken a large toll._

 **"They will die."** _Paxton chuckled,_ **"All of them. A war is coming, I've seen it in my dreams. Fires sweeping across Remnant, bodies in the streets, cities turned to dust...Retaliation."**

X _Flashback End_ X

The images faded from his mind as he looked past Beacon's campus to Vale. Memories of the remains of Auburn smoldering still fresh, but distant at the same time as he recalled those last hours before managing to steal a ride out of the war-torn city.

Nothing about those last moments settled well with him, infact almost nothing sat well with him after the events that had occured. But hearing about a war coming to Remnant and the devistation it would cause, and with his mother the cause of it all, it was unfathomable.

Alma Wade was the very embodyment of hate and rage itself. Her powers at their most dangerous when all of her pent up fury was unleashed, destroying anything in its path like a hurricane and warping reality into something twisted and horrifying. Not even he could figure out what was real and what was an illusion when he faced his mother's wrath.

But the worst of all her abilities, was the fact that death was nothing to her. With her powers over reality, life and death could be altered with but a thought. He'd seen the people that had wronged her, inside her mind suffering never ending tortures for their part in her painful past.

It was her that brought Paxton back from the grave in his spectral form. Only to realize that he was going out of his way to try and kill Adrian after the older teen put a bullet between his eyes.

On top of it all, Alma had supposedly 'died' twice. Once when Project Origin was shut down and they pulled the plug on the Vault years ago, then again when the facility exploded when he set the reactor to overload. But each time she came back as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience.

He'd never really experienced true fear in his life, but after witnessing his mother's power he became a firm believer in the emotion. However, he didn't know what scared him more. The power Alma possessed...or the fact that he was bound to her on such a deep level.

Shaking his head, the ex-FEAR operatve checked his watch and saw that it was 8:30AM. Class would be starting in another half-hour, so he decided to head in and make his way to the first lesson of the day and meet the rest of his team.

Going down a few flights of stairs and a few corridors, Adrian stood beside the door to the lecture hall where the Grimm Studies class was supposed to take place. Seeing several other students enter the room, he checked his watch again and frowned when he saw that it was ten minutes before the lesson was supposed to start, where were the girls?

Minutes ticked by and he found himself getting a bit impatient, were they seriously going to be late on the first day? Just as when he was about to head in alone, he heard the sound of running footsteps and looked down the corridor to see eight familiar faces running in his direction, each one of them frantic as they tried to make it to the door before class started.

Crossing his arms and cocking his head to the side, Adrian stepped to the other side of the door before opening it wide. Two seconds later the members of RWBY and JNPR shot through the threshold with a loud crash.

"Thanks Adrian!" he heard Ruby call from somewhere within. Rolling his eyes at their antics, he stepped inside after them and closed the door behind him.

It was going to be a long day.

X

"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night." Professor Peter Port said as he started his lesson. "Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey!" he gave a laugh but was met with the chirping of crickets from the gathered students.

"And you shall too after graduating from this prestegious academy." he continued unhindered. "Now, as I was saying. Vale, along with the other three kingdoms, are safe havens from the otherwise trechorous world. Our planet it absolutely teaming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces. And that's where we come in."

Most of the gathered students had started to lose interest in what the man was saying as he monologued more and more about facts that didn't seem to fit the lesson plan. Adrian wasn't that far behind, at that point he was more willing to sit through a dozen mission briefing back to back than to sit through this.

Wasn't the point of teaching was to actually _teach_ something that they could use when facing Grimm? First day orientation or not, this was starting to get irritating.

Scanning his eyes around the room, Adrian saw that the rest of the students were doing what they could to focus and stay awake. Only a select few were actually taking notes while the man spoke. Looking to his left, the girls were doing similar to the others.

Ruby was drawing crude cartoon rendition of their teacher which caused Yang to laugh. Blake was shaking her head with a subtle smile. Though Weiss was doing her best to shoot daggers at the red cloaked girl, gritting her teeth as she scribbled notes harshly into her notebook.

"The moral of this story," Professor Port said wrapping things up. "A true huntsman must be honorable, dependable, strategic, well educated, and wise. So who among you believes to be the embodyment of these traits?"

"I DO SIR!" everyone's attention went down to Weiss who had her hand raised. Her face looking several shades passed irritated.

"Well then, let's find out." the professor said as a cage was wheeled into the room. The reinforced box rattled as whatever was inside fought to break out. "Step forward, and face your opponent."

The heiress left the room and came back in her combat attire. Weapon in hand as she prepared to fight whatever Grimm Port had in the cage.

The other members of her team cheering her on as the professor approached the lock for the cage. "Now, let the match...begin!" he took his Blunderaxe and shattered the lock, allowing a Boarbatusk to come shooting out and nearly spearing her with its tusks.

The fight lasted only a few minutes, a few close calls had the heiress on the ropes more than once. Ruby had tried to offer support to her partner, but was shot down harshly each time as Weiss focused on her fight.

In the end she managed to out maneauver the Grimm, using a glyph to launch her at the Grimm and drive her rapier into its weakened belly killing it.

"Bravo! Bravo! We seem to be in the presence of a true huntress in the making." Professor Port said as the Boarbatusk dissipated into the air while Weiss went back to her seat and sat down without saying a word. "As you can see, each Grimm is capable of attacking in very unique, and even surprising ways. As future hunters, you must always be vigilant if you wish to succeed...and survive any hunts you may find yourselves on."

He surveyed the room again with careful eyes, settling on the silent member of team RWBY. "Mr. Wade." he said making the teen look up at him, "You showed quite a bit of skill during initiation. I've never seen a pack of Beowolves dispatched with such precision and quickness, and by a lone huntsman no less, simply impressive."

The professor motioned with his hand as a second, larger crate was brought in, "Would you care to test your luck as well. I'm sure you're more than capable of handling what awaits." Adrian shrugged as he stood up and headed toward the locker room. A bit of light combat would be better than hearing Port continue his monologue.

Coming back into the classroom a few minutes later in full gear, balaclava tucked into his belt as he stood at the head of the class facing the cage. Professor Port held his blunderaxe as he stood beside it,

"Go get 'em Adrian!" Ruby called out enthusiastically while Blake and Yang cheered with her. Weiss remained silent, but focused on their male team mate wondering how he would handle what would come out.

"Are you ready Mr. Wade?" asked the professor, receiving a nod from the ex-FEAR operative as he kept his gaze locked on the cage beside him. "Then begin!" The blunderaxe bashed the lock free allowing the door to drop open. A low growl emitted from within before a large claw reached out and grabbed the opening, the hulking form of an Ursa lumbering out into the open and leering at the human that stood before it.

Adrian remained neutral, as he surveyed the Grimm. Looking at open weaknesses he could exploit before drawing one of his pistols and his combat knife. The Ursa let loose a bellowing roar before standing on its hind legs and swiping one of its large paw at him.

The teen ducked under the blow that would have taken his head off, expression remaining the same as he jumped up performing a spin kick with his heel slamming into the side of the Grimm's head sending it staggering to the side.

Semblance activating, he fired half the clip of his pistol into the creature's exposed flank. Black blood spraying into the air as time resumed its normal pace, the Ursa groaning from the holes punched in it, but its feral nature still intact as it went to take another swing.

However, the attack was much slower compared to the first. Allowing Adrian to easily dodge it while spearing forward, driving his combat knife into the creature's sternum. His aura giving him a boost of strength as he sent them both pitching backward and slamming onto the ground.

Growing, the Ursa tried to stand when the barrel of an assault rifle was crammed into its mouth. Barely a second passed before the weapons entire clip was pumped into the back of its throat, severing the top of its spine and blowing out the back of its neck as each round tore through the tiled floor below.

When the rifle clicked empty, Adrian pulled the smoking barrel from the now dead Grimms mouth. Its red eyes going dark as its body started to dissipate.

"Bravo, Mr. Wade! Bravo! A brutal execution, but very effective nonetheless." said Professor Port clapping his hands while the rest of the class remained stunned seeing the Ursa taken down like that. The members of his team were in a similar state, but not nearly as bad after seeing him in action in the Emerald forest.

Ruby and Yang were grinning, while Blake and Weiss both looked thoughtfully at the soldier as he pulled his knife from the Ursas chest, wiping the blood-soaked blade on the creatures fur before slipping it back into place and rejoining his team.

"Keep in mind, students." said the teacher. "You won't always be able to plan your attack when facing the creatures of Grimm and will have to rely on your personal strength and instincts to come out of a fight unscathed. Mr. Wade was able to do just that, keeping his opponent off balance and finding an opening he could exploit.

Port turned from the mess being cleaned up to his students when the bell suddenly rang, "I'm afraid this is all the time we have for today, students. Do the assigned reading and I'll be seeing you all again soon. Class dismissed."

Everyone stood, gathering their things before exiting the room. Team RWBY-A being the last as they headed out into the corridor. Weiss split off from them and started marching in another direction causing Ruby to chase after her to see what the matter was.

"That was pretty awesome back there, Adrian." Yang said to the ex-FEAR operative after he dropped his weapons off in the locker room before heading toward the cafeteria for lunch.

He just shrugged like it wasn't a big deal as they kept walking. Blake looked at him waiting for more of a response, but he remained silent as stone. "Your skills really are impressive, where did you learn to fight like that?" she asked trying to learn a bit more about their male team mate.

Adrian raised his hand and rolled it through the air, the universal way of saying 'around' which caused both girls to look at him with raised eyebrows. The blonde suddenly remembering something and smacked her forehead. "Duh, I forgot. You can't talk." she said catching her partner by surprise.

"Really?" she asked looking at the soldier who just nodded.

Yang scratched her cheek, "So, uh, how do we communicate exactly?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean, I'm not sure how to read facial expressions all that well."

The ex-FEAR operative pulled his scroll out and typed something which caused girls' scrolls to go off. Both of them answering at the same time to see the message that had been sent to them;

 _This works well. I also know sign language if we're unable to use our scrolls._

"Cool, good thing I paid attention in the language course back at Signal. And I know Ruby can understand it too." said Yang thankfully as they entered the cafeteria. Collecting their food before sitting down at a table across from team JNPR.

A while later, Ruby joined them looking as though someone had just kicked her dog. Head down not saying a word as she picked at her plate throughout most of the period. Her sister trying to get her to open up but couldn't get her to open up.

Weiss came in soon after sitting far away from her partner and seeming to ignore everyone. Adrian looked between the two of them and came to the conclusion that something must caused animosity between them.

 **"Your assumption would be correct."** said Paxton appearing in the empty seat across from him. Unseen by everyone else as they went about their business. **"It would seem the heiress is a bit jaded for not being chosen as leader of your little team. Like any Schnee, she can't stand not getting what she wants."**

The older brother leered down the table at the white-haired girl as she casually ate the salad before her. It was bad enough he had to deal with someone who was a part of the family that funded Armacham, but to have her throwing around her high and mighty attitude wasn't good for the team.

And he'd be damned if he watched anymore squadmates die because someone couldn't get over themselves.

The spectre shook his head in distaste, **"Of all the things she had been given in that rich lifestyle of hers, you think she would have at least a shred of humility. Then again, the Schnees aren't known for being humble or accepting of those deemed 'beneath them'."** Paxton's cold eyes looked in another direction and smirked when he saw one of Adrian's other team mates looking his way in confusion.

Her bow twitching madly which was unseen by the others while her amber eyes flickered left and right as though she were trying to look for something that she couldn't see. **"Hmm."** the being of aura hummed before disappearing into the air.

X

Blake perked her head up, her senses on high alert when she felt the same presense she had detected in the Emerald forest. Looking down the table, she didn't see anything out of place, but she swore that something was there. Her sharp eyes picking up...something in the empty space across from Adrian.

But as quickly as she detected it, it vanished. Her nose twitching when she smelled ashes and smoke for a brief moment before everything seemed to go back to normal. _"What was that?"_ she thought scanning the room again.

"Everything okay, Blake?" asked Yang seeing her partner suddenly tense.

"Y-Yeah, everything's fine." Blake replied going back to her lunch. Subtly glancing around the cafeteria incase she sensed the anomaly again.

X

When the period ended, everyone started making their way to their next lesson which wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes. Adrian walked beside Ruby as they headed toward their History of Remnant class, the red cloaked girl keeping her head down deep in thought.

Before reaching the door, she stopped when the ex-FEAR operative put a hand on her shoulder as everyone else disappeard into the classroom. Looking up at him, Ruby saw confusion in his eyes and was able to read his expression pretty well.

"I'm...I'm fine, Adrian." she said smiling unconvincingly, "See, no problem."

Adrian raised an eyebrow and shook his head, telling her that he wasn't falling for it. Her smile faultered a moment before dropping completely, taking in a deep breath before looking up at him again. "I...Do you think Ozpin was wrong to choose me as leader?" she asked with anxiety coloring her voice.

The question caught him off guard for a moment. It was a bit strange to him that Ruby had been given the role as leader of the team, being a year younger than the others and all. She was also innocent and a bit naive, but from what he had seen she had a considerable set of skills and the traits needed to become a great leader.

Holding up his hands, he started making signals with them remembering what Yang had told him earlier; [No, I don't think he was.]

Ruby's eyes widened when she deciphered what he had signed to her, "R-Really?" she asked still sounding unsure.

Adrian nodded as he started making motions again, [You're young and inexperienced, but that's why you're here. To learn. Great leaders aren't born, they're made. I know this from experience.]

The red cloaked girl blushed and kicked her left foot a bit, "I'm just..." she trailed off, but a light snap of fingers brought her gaze up to see the soldier looking at her confused.

[What's this all about Ruby?]

Biting her lip, Ruby recounted her argument with Weiss after Professor Port's class. How the heiress tore into her about being a child and not deserving of her place. Each passing word caused Adrian's anger to spike, though he kept it buried as he listened to the girl infront of him.

"And...well, Professor Ozpin just walked off and that's why I've been thinking all this time." Ruby finished as she looked at the boy infront of her as he seemed deep in thought. Seconds ticked by before he started signing to her again.

[Don't listen to whatever that bitch told you. Partner or not, if she can't even give you the decency to prove yourself worthy of your place then she's the one being childish.]

The red cloaked girl flushed a moment, "I just want to show her that I can do this. Even after all that talk about working together, she still threw it all back at me like that. What did I ever do to her?"

Adrian shifted his footing, he was stepping into more social territory he'd never really treaded on before. But so far he'd been going on his gut instincts and had been getting good results thus far, so he decided to keep rolling with it.

[She's a Schnee, Ruby. One of the richest families on the planet. Of course she got the best training, tutors and equipment. She obvously isn't used to not getting what she wants. But money can only give you so much. Without actual experience it's all worthless. It's like having a gun, you can learn how to load and tend to it, but if you don't know how to aim or fire it while on the battlefield...you die.]

He paused a moment before smirking, [And besides...wasn't it _your_ plan that took out that Nevermore back during initiation? I didn't see Weiss coming up with anything that quick and effective.]

Ruby's face darkened at the light praise, "Th-Thank you." she sighed as she got herself back under control before smiling at him, "I...I'll do everything I can to be the best leader possible. You'll see."

Adrian nodded as the bell rang through the halls, [We better get to class.] he signed getting a nod from the girl.

"Right, come on!" she grabbed his hand and started yanking him toward the classroom. The sudden motion making him stumble at her enthusiasm while making him feel a bit awkward at the same time.

At least he got her moral back up, it was a start.

X

Night fell across campus several hours later. All of the students had turned in their dorms getting plenty of rest for the next day of classes the following morning.

In team RWBY-A's dorm, Adrian was the only one currently still awake. Cleaning his two pistols as he sat cross-legged on his cot with the light of his scroll being his only source for illumination.

His grey eyes looked up while was reassembling one of the Staders, his grey eyes taking in the unorthodox constructions the girls had made out of their beds that morning. Honestly, he was stunned to see that neither 'bunkbed' had collapsed, they were as structually sound as a building after it had been hit with a bunker buster...or several.

But it worked, surprisingly. Or perhaps it was just luck. Either way it worked.

Even in the low light, he could make out Yang and Blake's sleeping forms in their respected beds. Both of them were asleep minutes after getting ready for bed.

Turning to the other set of beds, the ex-FEAR operative saw a light still on inside the one surrounded by a sheet that was suspended by ropes from the ceiling. Ruby's bed. She'd been up long past the others working on various things from homework assignments to battle tactics. She'd taken the words given to her by both himself and the headmaster to heart and was working hard at trying to be a good leader to them.

She'd fallen asleep almost twenty minutes ago, given the soft snoring that could be heard from her perch. Adrian shook his head and started working on his other pistol. He couldn't understand how it felt so natural to communicate with her.

Usually he was a loner, avoiding people unless he had no other options. Even his short talks with the others were brief, but Ruby, she somehow had this way of pulling you in and getting under your skin. In a good way. Like when they first met. She was like this ray of light that couldn't be darkened that made everything a little brighter when she was around.

It was all very hard for him to explain. There was just something about her that made him feel...comfortable. Something that was so rare for him that it boardered on none existent given his past and personality traits. He really didn't know how to go about it.

Give him a gun and he could kill dozens like it was second nature. But something of this nature was unknown, and he hated not having all the variables to a situation.

He'd been so lost in thought that he didn't hear the door open. But perked up when it closed when he saw the missing member of the group returning. Having been MIA ever since the last class of the day let out.

Adrian narrowed his eyes at the heiress' back as she quietly made her way over to her partner's bed and peered up. Gasping when she saw the younger girl sleeping before gently shaking her awake.

"W-Weiss!" she yelped when she awoke, "I was studying when I fell asleep and I-" the white haired girl put a hand to her mouth silencing her while motioning for her to be quiet.

"How do you take your coffee?" she asked all of a sudden.

"I...I don't..." Ruby stumbled a little confused.

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Answer the question."

"Cream and five sugars!" the girl in red blurted out. Her partner sighed before picking up a dropped mug and stepping out of the room. Returning a few minutes later with hot beverage in hand as she handed it to her.

"Uh, thanks Weiss." Ruby said still confused.

The heiress nodded, "Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader." she said quietly. "Just know, that I'll be the best team mate you'll ever have." both of them smiled at each other moment before the white haired girl stepped down from the bed.

Popping up a moment later and pointing at something, "That's wrong, by the way."

On the other side of the room, Adrian watched the interaction with careful eyes. He could tell Weiss was being sincere, which surprised him. But he still didn't trust her.

And if she acted that way to anyone on this team again, the Grimm wouldn't be the only danger for her to worry about.

She left the room and he quickly finished cleaning his other sidearm before putting it away with its twin. "Hay, Adrian?" he looked up and saw Ruby looking at him from the end of her bed. "Thanks, for talking with me earlier." she looked sheepish and scratched her head, "Well...you get what I mean."

He smiled and signed, [No problem]. He clicked off his scroll after setting the alarm on it to wake him up before leaning back and getting comfortable.

Ruby smiled at where he was, "Night, Adrian." she said softly before returning to her studying.

A/N: More visions of the past, little brother popping in and out again, and the first real conversation Adrian's had with people since the beginning of al of this safe for the one with Ozpin. For the record, this IS a Ruby/Point Man story. Because to be honest, someone needs to pull him out of his dark past and into a brighter future, while at the same time she needs someone who's faced the horrors of the unknown and survived that she can learn from while at the same time possessing the drive to protect her from darkness she can't handle alone.

Hence the change in age I made for her character at the beginning.

Updates are a bit slow from before, but I hope the content is at least up to snuff. Review me and I'll get back to you all ASAP!


	8. Interval 07 - Routine

**A/N: Been a long time folks, but with the release of RWBY Volume 3 I felt it was time to start updating this story and others like it. And with me getting back into playing FEAR for a little while, I have more of a drive to add more to my chapters than I had before.**

 **You've waited long enough, however, and it's about time I delivered.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FEAR or RWBY.**

Before anyone knew it, a couple of weeks had gone by. And in that time a type of routine had been made for the team of five young hunters.

Classes were relatively simple, assignments equally so, and combat practice every other day was good exercise on top of it all. In another month and a half the teams would be able to take low-rank missions which many of them couldn't wait for.

Adrian had opened up little by little around the girls, but he was still hesitant around Weiss. Even though she was doing better with the others, and proving more and more that she wasn't like the rest of her family, the ex-FEAR operative was still cautious around her given her ties.

But he was giving her a chance since she wasn't causing no problems for him or the others.

Yang had a very upbeat and laid-back attitude, she liked to have fun and face down a good challenge, but at the same time was fiercly loyal to her family and friends. Her semblance was one Adrian had found very useful in combat, being able to take damage and throw it back at you opponent multiple times harder could really save people in a tight spot.

She was a good fighter, and kept up with him in a sparring match on an almost even level. But his experience and past training kept him ahead of her. Though that didn't stop her from wanting to beat him at some point.

Blake was almost the exact opposite of Yang, which seemed to work out since they were partners. She relied and speed, stealth and agility, the shadows her ally in a fight which gave her a strong advantage in certain situations.

The raven-haired girl was also a very quiet individual, soft spoken most of the time but fit into the team dynamic regardless. She spent most of her time reading, which must have been her way to escape the real world for a while. But Adrian could also see something else, something in her eyes that was almost similar to his own.

He could tell right away that he wasn't the only one in their little group hiding something, as well as running from a bad past. Though like him, it was probably for good reason why she hadn't told them about it yet...if at all.

In the end, however, out of most of them he was still able to talk to Ruby a bit easier. The two of them would often talk (or in Adrian's case sign) with one another every so often when they weren't in class or studying. Whether it was about combat tactics during team training sessions or an assignment the younger girl needed help with if her partner wasn't avaliable.

Yang would at times tease her sister about being around the soldier so much which would have her blushing as red as her cape. Even Adrian felt a little awkward about it when the blonde would try to get a rise out of him. Though he did his best to just shrug it off.

Depite opening up a little more and being social, he was keeping most of his secrets close to the chest, not knowing how the others would react to what exactly he was and the things he had done. The less they knew about his origins, the less they would become involved. And that was good enough.

Yet despite the normality of it all, Adrian was still on alert when the others didn't notice. He's frequent dreams about his past were still there, some easier to manage than others but were all the more exhausting on some nights.

But each one left him feeling mentally drained, it was almost as if everything that had been forgotten, or repressed, was finally breaking free. Whether it was from the revelations he had uncovered with FEAR, Alma's psychic attacks, Paxton's presence, or something else entirely, he now knew things he didn't before. It left him confused, and very uneasy.

None of the girls had caught on thankfully, but he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before they started to notice him waking in the middle of the night and leaving for hours before returning to the dorm before they awoke.

And with Paxton suddenly appearing whenever he felt like it, and the high possibility of their mother doing the same every so often, he still wondered about issues in the near future. For him, the girls, and the people here at Beacon, the last thing he wanted to happen was this place to become another Auburn

With no way to be sure of anything, he would just remain aware for the time being, and deal with things as they came.

At least Armacham hadn't caught up with him yet, that was something...for now.

X

Adrian sat up in bed in an instant, steadying his breathing with sweat collecting on his forehead as he tried to force the last remnants of his nightmare into the dark corner of his mind where it had come from.

He could still hear them; Jin, Holiday, and the dozens of soldiers who accompanied them on FEAR's mission as they screamed in terror and agony before being viciously silenced. Blood covering every visible surface around their crumpled or dismembered forms.

The memories of seeing Holiday's limbs twisted into various angles as he floated in mid-air before imploding from the inside out would forever haunt him. So would seeing Jin's corpse laying in a pool of her own blood with the rest covering the floors and ceiling. Each of their death's the result of Alma's rampage and the horrors she unleashed.

All because of Armacham...and Project Origin.

Running a hand through his hair, he checked the time and saw that class wouldn't be starting for several more hours. And the idea of going back to sleep was pointless considering that he was fully awake now.

Getting out of bed, he pulled on a black t-shirt, a pair of digital camo pants and his boots before heading to the door. Being silent as to not wake the girls as he slipped out into the hallway. The cafeteria would be open in a few minutes, and some coffee and breakfest sounded good right now.

When Adrian left the room, he failed to see Ruby's bunk shifting. The young leader tossing and turning in her sleep as she found herself stuck in her own nightmare;

X

 _The corridors were cold. Walls, ceiling and floor made of metal and concrete lacking any kind of warmth as she walked in the only direction avaliable to her._

 _Ruby was confused as she walked forward, still dressed in her PJs as she tried to figure out where she was and what this place was._

 _A loud scream echoed through the halls making her freeze, the young huntress in training was suddenly thrusted down the corridor until she stood before a set of metal double doors. Both of them opening for her revealing some kind of lab inside._

 _Several surgical tables and various computers and equipment were situated in every corner. In the middle there was a type of fighting ring set up where several people in white coats were gathered._

 _Moving closer, Ruby's silver eyes widened when she saw a familiar little boy in a white jumpsuit stuggling to stand up. Blood dripping from his nose and mouth while an older man in combat gear stood over him cracking his knuckles._

 _"Get up P1!" demanded a middle aged man standing among the scientists, hand clasped tightly on the shoulder of the other little boy that she also remembered from her previous dream. "Get up or no meals! You may be worthless as a Commander, so prove your worth in even existing!" the man shouted._

 _The little boy got to his feet, stumbling a moment before staying upright as he faced his much larger opponent. "Sorry kid, it's what they pay me to do." The soldier swung his fist and the boy managed to dodge it, but he failed to avoid the second punch that struck him in the side of the head._

 _Another fist hit him in the stomach making him double over before a knee slammed into his young face. His back hitting the floor as the soldier stood over him and kicked him in the side causing him to roll to the other end._

 _"STOP! STOP IT!" Ruby screamed not being able to take it anymore as she pushed through the people surrounding the ring and got into it. "YOU'RE HURTING HIM! STOP!" Tears streaming down her face as she put herself between the boy and his attacker._

 _But the man walked right through her as though she wasn't even there, continuing his assault by putting his boot down on the boy's throat hard. A soft crunch being heard causing the child's screams to cut off immediately, blood spurting from his mouth as he coughed and gagged._

 _Ruby was horrified, running to the boy's side when the soldier stepped away trying to help him. But her hands kept passing through him making her efforts futile._

 _"Enough!" the man who was running the whole thing said in disgust. "Patch him up and take him back to the room."_

 _One of the scientists, a woman perked up. "But, sir, what of his injuries?"_ _The man sent her a look that had her flinching._

 _"If he can't even survive a simple sparring session, then he's useless entirely." without another word he dragged the other child away. The boy looking at the other with worried eyes before he was taken out of sight._

 _A bright flash filled the room and Ruby found herself standing in a small, half-circular room with two beds and a tv with nothing much else. She looked around, tears still blotting her vision as she surveyed her surroundings before the only door to the room slid open._

 _The little boy she had seen getting beaten was dragged inside by two men wearing similar uniforms to the one he had been fighting. Both tossing him inside without care before leaving him curled up on the floor clearly in pain, a bloodied bandage wrapped around his throat as he coughed and wheezed weakly._

 _Dropping down beside him, the young huntress reached for him, doing her best to help but was still unable to touch him for whatever reason. "Dust...what are they doing to you?" she said with tears streaming down her face._

 _Who could justify doing this to a child? Then dismiss him as something worthless because he wasn't good enough? Ruby felt sick, but she managed to push it down as she tried to figure out how to help him._

 _The boy went still scaring her to her core, but the slight rise and fall of his chest eased her mind only slightly. Why were they doing this to him? All of these questions and more plagued her thoughts as she sat beside him to keep him company._

 _A chilled feeling filled the air, making Ruby feel as though she were sitting inside a freezer. Looking up from the child, she saw her. The girl in the red dress, standing over the boy and watching him like a silent guardian._

 _Bending down, she ran a pale hand over his bandaged neck, her glowing orange eyes flaring in what could be perceived as rage as the air distorted behind her._ _ **"...They will pay for what they have done to my children..."**_ _A willowy voice echoed through the shadows with malice. The lights around the room flickered before shattering, plunging the room into darkness._

X

Ruby sprang awake, eyes wide as she looked every direction before calming down again. It was only a dream, a very intense one, but just a dream and nothing else.

Pulling her legs to her chest and hugging them, she rested her chin on her knees as she tried to settle the tidal wave of emotion flowing through her. She'd never had a dream like that before, even the one she had before coming to Beacon wasn't like that.

And after seeing the same two boys and the girl in red from the first one she couldn't help but think that they were connected somehow. But what did it mean? Why was she having these dreams in the first place? It didn't make sense to her.

Checking the time, she saw that there was still time before classes were to start and decided to grab something quick to eat before the day started. Gently hopping down from her bed as to not wake her partner, Ruby dressed in her school uniform in the bathroom. Wrapping her signiture cloak around her shoulders as she headed out the door quietly.

Her mind still buzzing from the dream she had experienced and trying to piece together its meaning along the way. She'd had odd dreams in the past, both good and bad, but in the end she managed to put them behind her. There was just something about this one, like it had a meaning on a level that was important that she couldn't understand.

Entering the cafeteria, she saw that it was almost completely empty except for those that ran the kitchens and a handful of students who had also gotten up early. Grabbing herself a tray and getting it filled, she looked amongst the various tables and was surprised to find Adrian sitting alone in the far corner nursing a cup of coffee with an empty tray infront of him.

"What's he doing awake?" she wondered outloud as she headed his way. The soldier's head turning in her direction as she made her approach. "Hay, couldn't sleep either?" she asked sitting down across from him.

Adrian shrugged and nodded, taking another drink from his mug as she started eating the bowl of cereal she had before her. [What's got you awake this early?] he signed to her with his free hand. Ruby was usually the one to wake up before the others after him, but this seemed to be too early even for her.

The cloaked girl swallowed the bite in her mouth, "Weird dreams. How bout you?"

[I'm hardwired to get up early.] He replied simply while finishing his coffee, deciding to keep his own dreams to himself. [Want to talk about it?]

Ruby shook her head, "I can barely make heads or tails of it myself. It's really hard to explain." she said taking another bite of her breakfest. "I've only started having them recently. But I can manage."

Adrian paused and gave her a curious look but decided to let the matter drop for the time being. Some time later the cafeteria started to fill up with other students, the rest of their team coming in and joining them along with team JNPR as they started talking together.

"So, combat class will start having matches today. Everyone ready?" asked Pyrrah while they ate.

"Can't wait." Yang replied grinning, fist bumping Nora who looked almost as eager as she had for wanting this part of the course to start.

Seeing all the excitement about combat class, Adrian noticed that Jaune seemed to be the less enthusiastic about it. Ever since meeting the blonde knight on the first say with Ruby, he couldn't help but pick up the feeling that he didn't have the mentality to be here.

He acted more like a new recruit then someone who had been through a combat school before coming to Beacon. And his tactics were lacking along with his overall skills in a fight. No one else had been able to pick on it, but the ex-FEAR operative had, and if Jaune didn't get his act together others would take notice as well.

Not to mention when missions would start lives could be put to risk because of his ignorance.

"Who do you think we'll end up facing first?" wondered Ruby.

"It's definite we'll be sparring with our fellow classmates." added Weiss, which caused the group to look at one another. "It would be the best course, this way we can work on our weaknesses and styles while at the same time getting to know the skills of people we could work beside in the field."

Yang crossed her arms impressed, "You managed to put all that together pretty fast, Ice Queen."

The heiress looked cross at the nickname and was about to reprimand her blonde team mate when Blake spoke up from behind the book she had been reading, "It's in the class criteria, Yang." The brawler looked sheepish as she scratched the back of her head while a couple of the others laughed.

When the bell rang they all filed out to go to their first class of the day. Adrian went back to the dorm to switch into his school uniform before meeting up with the rest of the team, finishing in a couple of minutes and heading for the door when a familiar voice stopped him.

 **"Looks like you have an interesting day ahead of you."** Adrian turned and found Paxton sitting cross-legged on the desk infront of the window across from the door. **"Being pitted against others for the sake of learning to be better combatants...sounds familiar, does it not?"**

The older of the two brothers fixed his sibling with a glare. Paxton smirked, a line of dark crimson sliding down from the hole in his head and dripped from his chin, the blood dissolving in red aura and feeding back into his form. **"Deny it all you want, brother, but you know as well as I do that you thrive on combat. To you it's like a drug, bloodlust is a common family trait amongst us, afterall."**

Adrian sent another burning leer at the apparition before leaving the dorm without looking back. Alone in the room, Paxton's smirk remained on his pale face as his eyes remained locked on the closed door.

 **"You won't be able to keep your true nature from them forever, sooner or later, they will see what you are. And learn first hand what our family is capable of."** a dark chuckle pulled from him as he vanished without a trace.

X

In the last class of the day, all of the first year students attending the course had collected their combat gear and gathered in the atrium where Professor Goodwitch had been waiting.

"Welcome students." she said as she checked to be sure everyone was present, "As you are aware, we will be starting the more physical aspect of this class today. As future huntsmen and huntresses, it is imperitive that you maintain a strong training regiment to ensure that your abilities are at their peak. Practicing outside of classes either on your own, with your partner, or with your team as a whole, is greatly encouraged if it means helping you to succeed in your time here at Beacon."

Goodwitch typed a few things on her scroll and a large screen appeared above the stage with everyone's pictures on it. "Starting today, you will be randomly selected to face off in mock-battles with other students in the class to test your skills. Each match will be held within tournament standards; if your opponent gives up, is unconscious, or their aura level is in the red, the match is over. Your grades depend on your performance, skill level, and creativity while in combat."

Her green eyes looked up and scanned the gathered students, "If for any reason there is an issue during a match, I will call an end to it immediately if there is risk of injury. Be advised of your aura levels and keep your scroll on hand at all times to be sure of this, the infirmary is on stand-by...as a precaution."

Some of the students looked nervous, while others looked ready to get things started. Adrian stood with RWBY, weapons loaded with training rounds to avoid excessive damage to anyone he might end up facing. His scroll was placed in a special housing on the inside of his right wrist and synced to his aura level, around the large room the other students were doing similar as they waited for Professor Goodwitch to start calling them up.

"Now then, we will start with the first match." Two blank images appeared side by side with one another, each cycling through the students for a few seconds before settling on one member from different teams in the class.

The match that followed was only a few minutes long, but everyone paid close attention while the professor explained various points of what should be done in certain situations and what to avoid.

For the ex-FEAR operative, he only paid half attention as he gauged the level of skill in the room. There were only a select few of the hopefuls that could prove a challenge for him, and he wondered if he'd have the chance to face them himself sometime.

He'd been in several sparring matches in his time in the Atlatian military, even at the age he had been when he first joined, he was on par with squad leaders and officers alike. Obviously whatever training he had been force to endure in his time as a child stuck like second nature. Even now, many years later, when ever he fought it was almost like instinct, and in those scenarios where death was certain, _it_ took over.

His inner killer, the part of himself which could only have been a by-product of Project Origin and what had been done to him. Where his emotions and thoughts were locked away deep in his subconscious and his body reacted on pure instinct alone. Adrian recalled a handful of moments where it felt like he wasn't in control of his own body. Watching himself cut down enemy after enemy until he ran out of aura and passed out.

It was more than obvious when he discovered the truth about his origins that he failed as a candidate for the psionics program, unlike Paxton who excelled. And if the memories he had been able to bring forth were any indication, he had been physically and mentally trained to be the perfect soldier. To kill without hesitation, and complete the mission no matter the damage.

And in the end...they had succeeded...

The nickname he had earned in Atlas, Wraith, wasn't just given because of his speed, reflexes and precision. No, it was also because of the kill count he had racked up during his time in their military. To this day, he still held the record for most kills in a single career.

He may have earned respect from his commanding officers...but his fellow soldiers feared him on various levels. And with the things he had started to remember, they had a right to be.

"Adrian?"

Adrian blinked out of his thoughts and turned to Ruby who had spoken his name. The younger girl giving him an odd look. "You okay? You've been staring off into space for a while."

A small smile graced his lips and he nodded before bringing his attention back to the stage with the others, pushing his earlier thoughts away for the time being while he focused on the matches.

Ruby kept her gaze on him for a moment or two more before turning her attenion forward again. In the last couple of weeks she had gotten to know the soldier in a few ways, even though he couldn't speak, he had been easy to talk to.

But something troubled her, ever since she was little she had a way about about reading people, despite her social awkwardness. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something more about Adrian then what he showed them on the surface.

Sure he would hang out with them, train with them and have conversations, even though he had to sign to them in order to speak. But at the same time he was closed off involving certain subjects. Ruby remembered when Yang had asked him about where he lived and trained before coming to Beacon not too long ago.

A cold, dark look crossed his eyes for a brief moment before he gave a vague answer and changed the subject. Naturally the others were a little put off by lack of insight into their male team mate, but Ruby saw deeper. It was obvious that whatever happened to Adrian in the past left deep, and painful, scars that he was avoiding at any cost, and as much as she wanted to get to know him more she didn't want to push into something that was firmly being walled off.

She only hoped that he'd open up to her about it when he was ready.

Looking over the older boy, Ruby couldn't help but blush when she found herself staring at his face too long and quickly looked away. Even though her experience with boys wasn't as strong as her sister, it wasn't hard for her to admit that Adrian was attractive. And she wasn't the only one, a lot of girls around the academy found his silent, calm demeanor appealing and would often stare when they believed he wasn't looking.

The cloaked girl often saw this and was a little affronted, but it was hypocritical of her given that she herself would stare more than she wanted to admit. Even though he liked to keep to himself a lot, he was alway open to conversation with her when she needed it, the situation with Weiss back on their first day and how he boosted her morale stuck with her and she was thankful for his advice.

But there was something else, something she was having a lot of trouble trying to explain. Ever since they first met, something about Adrian drew her in. A type of warmth that would fill her being when they were in close proximity making her feel safer than she ever had with Yang or their father. Like no matter what happened, no harm would ever befall her as long as he was there.

It was confusing, but she welcomed it. Yet at the same time kept it to herself. The last thing Ruby wanted was for Yang to have more of a reason to tease her about the budding friendship between the two of them.

The match that was taking place, which had been between Nora and one of the other students in the class, came to an end when the hyper girl swung her hammer too hard and knocked her opponent out cold. When the student had been taken to the infirmary and Nora joined the others, the selection started to cycle again, stopping on the next two combatants.

 **Adrian Wade vs Cardin Winchester**

"Alright! Go get'em Adrian!" Ruby cheered as the two students went up to the stage and faced one another.

The ex-FEAR operative observing his opponent while said opponent gave a cocky smirk in return while holding a large mace against his shoulder.

Cardin Winchester considered himself a hotshot at the academy, along with the rest of team CRDL. The Winchester name was well known for making arms and armor in Mistral that helped supply the previous war efforts and ensuring huntsmen and huntresses had the equipment needed for assignments world wide.

However, in terms of personality, the teen was as arrogant and selfish as they came. More than once he had been seen bullying other students, especially those who were faunus which had been treated even worse no matter how much older they were in comparison.

"Hope you're ready, freak!" Cardin called out as he got into an offensive stance with his weapon. Adrian remained still as Goodwitch started the match.

"Aright gentlemen, you will begin on my mark." the light dimmed around the atrium, the stage lights being the only ones on covering the combatants, the board behind them showing their aura meters as everything readied. "Begin!" the professor called out.

Neither opponent moved, both waiting for the other to make the first attack. Adrian kept his gaze locked on Cardin, finding several weaknesses in his stance as his cockiness showed through again.

"It must be tough, you know, being a part of a team led by a baby." there were sounds of shouting and insults being thrown at him from the audience, but Cardin just kept grinning. "You don't stand a chance, so why don't you do us both a favor and give up now."

In response, Adrian knelt down and withdrew his combat knife from his boot. The sound of laughter could be heard from the leader and his team. "You think that puny thing's gonna save you? You're pathetic!"

The ex-FEAR operative took a standard CQC fighting stance, his lack of answer or even nervousness pissing Cardin off more as he readied his mace. "Say goodnight!" he charged across the stage, weapon raised high with the intention of crushing his enemy as he closed the distance and swung down.

The mace crashed into the stage, kicking up dust and debris from the impact, but to the astonishment of CRDL's leader, his target was nowhere to be seen.

"Wha-" he was cut off when he felt a sharp blade poised at his throat and the barrel of a sidearm pressed into his lower back close to his spine and kidneys.

Adrian stood still as stone, grip tight on both weapons while daring Cardin to make a move. With two vulnerable spots in danger, he had no way of defending without one or the other taking damage, and in a real life scenario, he'd be a dead man with how open he left himself.

Cardin went to move, but felt the knife and pistol press a bit harder into their targets making him grit his teeth in anger and embarresment with the knowledge that he had no way of escaping. "I...fuck, I yield." he finally admitted bringing an end to the fight.

From the sidelines, everyone was floored. Even Professor Goodwitch who saw that the match had ended in less than 18 seconds. "Winner, Adrian Wade. By means of surrender." she said as Adrian stepped away from Cardin and put his weapons away as he made his way toward his team. "Take note, students. It doesn't matter the size of the weapon, but the effectiveness of how it is used in a fight. If your opponent leaves a vulnerable spot open, use it to your advantage to bring an end to the conflict."

The bell rang signalling the end of the class and everyone prepared to depart, "If you haven't developed a good training regiment for your teams, be sure to do so and present them to me next time." Goodwitch informed as she watched her students leave for the deay before leaving through another door to report to Ozpin.

X

"That was awesome!" Ruby cheered in the locker room while everyone put their weapons and gear away.

"I have to agree, even though the rest of us didn't get a chance to fight." said Weiss as she slipped her rapier in her locker with gentle ease.

Yang had finished putting her gauntlets, Ember Celica, away when she glanced over at Adrain. The ex-FEAR operative removing his tactical vest and rigs and organizing them in his own locker. "That was pretty kick ass back there, Adrian. Course I would have kicked that pompus ass around a bit."

Adrian put his assault rifle on the side rack in his locker before signing, [His arrogance and ego were his bigger weakness. Embarresment was a far more effective means to shutting him down.]

"Maybe now he'll learn some humility." added Blake as they all got ready to head out.

Ruby closed her own locker and joined everybody, "Well, it's the weekend team. Anyone got any plans?"

"Studying.

"Reading."

"Going to work on my bike." Weiss, Blake and Yang all responded in that order before heading back to the dorm leaving the red cloaked girl feeling dejected a bit. She turned her attention to the only male member of their group while he finished disarming.

"How bout you, Adrian? Any plans?"

The soldier looked her way and shrugged, [Was thinking to train, otherwise I've got nothing else.]

Ruby beamed, "Well, I was hoping to check out this new weapon store that opened in Vale on Saturday. If you're not busy, would you mind going there with me?" a blush filled her cheeks when he raised an eyebrow at her offer and quickly jumped to explain, "I-I didn't want to go alone! And I...I was hoping for a little company-I MEAN! I figured we could hang out together-I MEAN!" she floundered and sputtered as her face grew reder and reder each time she spoke.

Adrian could see that she was struggling hard and raised his hand stopping her rant, [Sounds good. I could use a few supplies for my gear anyway.]

The leader breathed a huge sigh of relief before smiling brightly, "Cool! We can head out early in the afternoon and make a date of it-DAY! I MEANT DAY!" Ruby quickly spun around and shot out the doorway to the locker room, rose petals trailing behind her when she used her semblance while calling out over her shoulder, "LATER ADRIAN!"

Looking at where the girl had been standing before she took off, the falling rose petals dissolving into the air as they fell, he shook his head in confusion at her behavior. He really needed to understand the habits of girls more, it would probably be the one field of knowledge outside of combat and Grimm studies that he would find useful while on a team of all females.

Closing his locker when he finished putting everything away, Adrian rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck to the side when he suddenly felt something was off. A sixth sense of immediate danger that he had known most of his life flaring in the back of his mind as he activated his semblance and moved to the immediate right.

Just in time for a large fist to strike against his locker where he had been standing and denting the metal.

Spinning around, the ex-FEAR operative was met with the snarling face of Cardin Winchester. His partner, Sky Lark at his right while their team mates , Russel Trush and Dove Bronzewing were standing at the door making sure no one got in or out.

This meant that they had planned to corner him when everyone had left.

"Your gonna pay for humiliating me like that, asshole." Cardin hissed while cracking his knuckles.

Adrian looked at the larger teen and crossed his arms, unimpressed with the egotistical display as he regarded them with a blank look.

"Looks like he isn't much of a talker, Cardin." said Sky with a smirk, the two at the door chuckling while their leader took a couple threatening steps toward their target.

"He won't be doing much of anything when I'm done." Cardin said swinging another fist at the soldier.

Waiting for the last possible moment, Adrian ducked under the strike, grabbing Cardin's wrist and slamming him into the row of lockers behind him. The leader of CRDL recovered and went to tackle his target, only to find himself getting triped up and sent crashing to the floor when the ex-FEAR operative kicked his legs out from under him.

Sky lunged in with a wide kick, but Adrian had seen him coming and blocked with his forearm. Delivering a kick of his own to the shorter teen's solar-plexus sending him into the wall beside his other team mates who looked on shocked at the sudden turn of events.

"Don't just stand there idiots, get him!" Cardin ordered getting back to his feet. Dove and Russell rushed the soldier, coming at him from different sides.

Adrian grabbed both of their outstretched arms and lifting them in the air, driving his knee into Dove's midsection and launching the same leg backward and implanting it into Russell's chest before jumping up and spin-kicking both of them in opposite directions.

From behind, Sky managed to recover and leap onto Adrian's back, but the soldier reached behind him, grabbing a fistful of the other teen's mohawk and hurling him over his shoulder onto the floor hard, planting a boot firmly on the side of his face keeping him pinned.

Seeing his team get taken down so quickly, Cardin bellowed in anger before charging the ex-FEAR operative. Adrian looked at the oncoming threat and kicked Sky aside before grabbing the edge of a nearby bench and flinging it at Cardin.

The leader of CRDL skidded to a stop and crossed his arms when the large projectile crashed against his bracers and splitting in half. But the attack wasn't meant to cause damage, it was meant as a distraction.

When Cardin lowered his arms, he barely had time to register Adrian coming at him until he dropped to the ground and slid across the floor. His boots taking the larger teen's legs out from under him as he slid passed, but the soldier wasn't done.

With his target now off his feet and falling forward, he sprung upward driving his fist into Cardin's stomach, doubling him over before slamming his elbow hard into his face. The leader's nose shattering on impact, blood spraying through the air as he was sent crashing to the floor clutching his now gushing face.

Adrian looked around at the groaning forms of his attackers and felt pity. For all of their boasting and hot-headedness, CRDL's skills as a team and individuals was severly lacking and they relied solely on brute strength. He didn't even have to use his weapons or his semblance to dispatch them.

Shaking his head and rolling his shoulders, he stepped over Dove's prone form as he made for the exit. Leaving the team to pick up what was left of their pride as he headed in the direction of his dorm without looking back.

Looking through his fingers while trying to keep more blood from leaving his broken nose, Cardin glared hatefully at where the male member of team RWBY had left. "This isn't over you damn freak." he growled under his breath as he staggered to his feet, aura repairing most of the damage that had been dealt to him.

When he pushed himself up to his knees, the lights around the locker room flickered wildly making him look up confused. A cold chill had also filled the air making him shiver.

"The hell's going on with this place?" Cardin muttered. Eyes coming down from the ceiling, he froze when he saw something very out of place.

Standing before him, was a little girl in a red dress. Skin the color of ash with long black hair obscuring her eyes. The lights flickered more around them casting shadows around the room making the whole situation that more unnerving.

"W-Who are you?" he asked swallowing dryly, "You one of the professor's kids or something?" The girl said nothing, instead raising her head revealing a pair of glowing orange eyes that burned through Cardin like hellfire.

He was petrified, unable to move or even breathe as he felt terror the likes of which he had never known pierce through him like an arrow to the heart. Those eyes, there was so much hate and rage in those eyes, all of it aimed at him and promising agony and death out of anyone's worse nightmares.

The little girl narrowed her gaze a fraction before she disappeared in a burst of ashes, the lights stopped flickering and went back to normal and the air returned to its original temperature.

A minute passed and the rest of team CRDL managed to come back around, shaking off the beatdown they had been given when they saw their leader on his knees staring ahead. Face pale as a ghost and stained with dried blood while his eyes were glazed over in fear they had never seen in him.

"Cardin? Hay, Cardin? You okay?" Sky asked his partner, trying to shake him out of the trans he was in.

Cardin blinked before snapping his head toward his partner like a startled animal. "W-What?!" he exclaimed making his team jump before regaining control of himself. "I...I'm fine..." he managed to get out as he looked back where the girl had been, heart still racing from what he ahd seen.

"Dude, we better get you to the nurse, that guy did a real number on you." said Russell as he and Dove helped him to his feet and led him to the infirmary.

None of them aware of the glowing eyes watching them from the shadows.

 **A/N: Adrian's finally getting into the swing of school life, and is leaving an impression on those around him in many ways. And CRDL learned damn quick not to mess with him, especially Cardin given his recent...encounter.**

 **Looking forward to writing this again, send your reviews and I'll get back to you soon.**


	9. Interval 08 - Outing

**A/N: I think I'm starting to get my mojo back with this story here, and since I started replaying the FEAR series, and rewatching the first season of RWBY along with it to make sure things match up, everything's getting back on track.**

 **I will say that there will be changes to Adrian's (Pointman's) personality over time. You figure given the people he's around, including Ruby, he has a chance to overcome his dark past. So don't be too surprised when you start to take notice of these changes starting in this installment. So for now sit back and enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FEAR or RWBY**

If there was one thing the students of Beacon looked forward to after a week of classes and training it was the weekend. Having all of Saturday and Sunday to do what ever they needed to either unwind or catch up on studying before Monday rolled around.

It was free time that everyone used to their advantage, and to Adrian it was time he used to train on his own.

Ruby had scheduled for team training every other week on Sunday, and this week wasn't one of them giving a little extra time for the others to do what they wanted. At that moment, the ex-FEAR operative was standing in the training room squaring off against three combat drones in hand to hand combat, five others laying either dismantled or offlined around them.

The drones were similar to the ones used in the Atlas military, but dialed down in order to help people practicing their techniques in training exercises. The academy had a small army of them to help the students and were controlled from their scrolls so that the difficulty was set to help them warm up, or give them a challenge.

Right now, the drones were set to their highest difficulty as they attacked Adrian from multiple sides.

Ducking down to avoid an armored fist aimed for the back of his head, he jumped up and rear-kicked the drone in the helm sending it crashing to the training room floor. Another arm attempted to catch him unaware, but he grabbed the machine's wrist and brought his elbow down on the limb. His aura enhancing the blow and crumpling the dense metal, diabling the arm and allowing him to grab the drone and throw it into the third knocking them both down.

The first drone got back up and went back on the assault, the soldier spinning around and blocking a strike before countering with an uppercut that knocked the machine back a step. Following up with a series of rapid punches to the chest plate and a kick to the side sending it away.

Adrian deflected another blow from the partially disabled drone, driving his knee into its middle and doubling it over allowing him to roll over its back and land an axe-kick down on the helm of the third. Spinning on the ball of his foot, he drove a roundhouse into the disabled drone and taking it offline completely.

The two remaining drones regained their barings and assessed their programing before taking defensive stances. Armor dented and helm visors cracked from repeated hits .

Clenching his hands, the ex-FEAR operative went on the offensive. Running at the drones, he ducked under their counter strikes and delivered blow after blow to both of them. Switching from one target to the other keeping both off balance and unable to properly defend themselves.

Moving around behind one of the machines, Adrian grabbed it around the middle and lifted it up and over, slamming it to the ground with a suplex before slamming the heel of his boot on the back of its helm shutting it down. The last drone attempted one final charge at his back, but he dropped low when it got into range causing its fist to fly over his head.

Grabbing the arm, he used the machine's momentum to flip it over his shoulder and bringing it down hard infront of him. Adjusting his grip around its neck and twisting hard, snapping the mechanical neck and ending the training session.

 _ **"TARGETS ELEMINATED. SIMULATION COMPLETE."**_ said the synthesized voice of the computer that ran the training programs. _**"TIME OF COMPLETION: 47.02 SECONDS."**_

Wiping the sweat from his forehead while the damaged drones were cleared for repairs, Adrian checked his scroll and saw that his aura had been depleted by very little. Most sessions like these involved him focusing on his physical conditioning and aura focus, meaning he didn't use weaponry of any kind or his semblance which made it all the more difficult to complete.

However, the overall results were worth it.

Taking a moment to check the time, he saw it was getting close to noon and he had to get ready for his outing with Ruby.

Adrian was actually curious to see how the day would go. He could count on one hand the number of times he'd been in a female's company outside of missions back when he was in Atlas, and even less in his short time with FEAR.

Even though he was a bit inexperienced in this particular field, he wasn't ignorant. It was obvious that Ruby wanted to do something that didn't involve being stuck at Beacon for the whole weekend and wanted someone to spend time with while the others were busy with their own devices.

The cloaked girl took her role as leader of RWBY-A very seriously, doing everything she could to ensure that they were prepared as a team while maintaining her own grades to the best of her ability. But she was also one to enjoy life, and took what time she could to take in every moment with the most excitement and fun possible. Something that he had started to get used to in recent weeks.

Regardless of his lack of social interaction, he made a promise to Ruby that he intended to carry through. And a small part of him was looking forward to doing something other that school work and training.

After gathering his things, then showering and changing into his usual 'comfort ware' outside of class, Adrian slipped one of his Straders in a holster on his right leg and his knife in its scabbard in his boot before heading toward the docking transport at the front of the campus where he'd promised to meet the girl in red the previous day.

As he left the training room, Paxton rose up and stepped out of the shadows. Watching his brother leave to meet with the girl that led his team with curious eyes.

X

At the same time, Ruby had just finished getting ready for the day out in Vale. Dressed up in her usual outfit when she stepped out of the bathroom and picked up her wallet from her dresser.

"Heading out for the day, sis?" asked Yang from her bunk above Blake's with a magazine in hand. Her partner having headed to the library a little while ago with Weiss leaving the siblings to themselves.

Ruby nodded as she fixed her cloak in place, "Yeah, I'm checking out that new weapons shop that opened up with Adrian." the little bit of information had the blonde completely ignoring her reading and was now focused on her little sister.

"You and _Adrian_?" she asked with a knowing grin spreading across her face. "Did my little sis score herself a date with our tall, dark and handsome team mate?"

The blush that spread across the younger girl's face was as bright as her cloak. "It...It's nothing like that!" she exclaimed turning away from Yang's very interested gaze. "Everyone was busy, and he agreed to hang out with me for the day, that's all."

"Rrrrriiiiigggghhhhttttt." Yang said, drawing out the word slowly with a non-convinced tone. "You forget, Ruby, we're all pretty much living together here, and it's hard to keep secrets. Especially when I know you a lot better than you think."

Biting her lip, and doing her best to keep the color in her face to a minimum, Ruby finished getting ready and heading to the door. "Adrian's just a friend, Yang. And we're spending the day together, it doesn't mean anything." she reached for the door handle when her sister's words made her pause.

"Do you want it to mean something?" the blonde's tone was now calm and non-joking, she hopped off her bunk and stood behind her little sister with her arms crossed under her breasts. "Rubes, I see how you look at him. Even back at Signal you never looked at a guy that way, and you gravitate toward him a lot more often than you think."

A smirk spread across her face, "And don't think for a second I didn't notice that glare you sent at that third-year girl when she flirted with him a week back. I half expected you to take out Crescent Rose and chase her off."

Ruby did remember that day, they'd all been in the library when the older student approached them and attempted to charm Adrian. And Yang was right, she did have the urge to take out her sweetheart and chase the girl around the school away from him. Though she couldn't understand why at first.

"I...I don't..." the cloaked girl stumbled with her words trying to come up with a viable response.

Yang stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder, "You're inexperienced with this sort of thing, I get it. It's one of those learn as you go kind of deals, take it from me. The only advice I can give you is to just take it slow." she grinned widely, "And if he tries to hurt you, I'll break him in half." she emphasized by slamming her fists together.

"Yang..." Ruby groaned with an eyeroll, but still smiled at her sister's words. "I'm off, see you later." she said before heading out.

"Have fun sis!" the brawler called after her before heading back to her side of the room. A second later the door opened again, Weiss and Blake coming in with a couple of books they picked up from the library.

"We just saw Ruby, where's she headed?" asked Blake setting her books aside.

"Rubes is spending the day with our favorite, badass mute." replied Yang as she collected Ember Celica and her scroll.

Weiss raised a delicate eyebrow, "Really? And where are you headed?" the heiress asked as her blonde team mate gathered her stuff.

The brawler fixed her gauntlets to her wrists in their 'dormant' state and flashed a grin at them, "What any good older sister would do in this situation."

"You're going to spy on them, aren't you?" asked Blake already knowing the answer.

"Damn straight. You two in?" asked Yang in return. The other two girls looked to one another briefly and weighed their options. On the one hand, they didn't want to invade the privacy of their leader and fellow team mate. But on the other, they still knew very little about Adrian.

Even after the weeks they had spent together, they knew very little about him. And whenever someone tried to approach him about his past he would shutdown almost completely and divert the subject. They were curious, and a little suspicious to why he was so closed off a good portion of the time.

It may not have been what would be considered moral, but it could be the only opprotunity to fill in a couple of gaps regarding their male team mate.

Looking back at Yang, they both nodded before getting ready as well.

X

At the sky-port in Vale, the bullhead from Beacon touched down letting students off that had planned to head off campus. The last two off were Adrian and Ruby as they headed into the city. Both of them walking in relative silence and enjoying the sun shining down from above.

Looking around at the many shops and stands that were open selling various things as they headed down the street to their destination.

"Adrian?" the ex-FEAR operative looked at the girl beside him, "Thank you, for coming out with me today. With everyone being busy...I just didn't want to come here alone." she admitted with a light amount of coloring in her cheeks.

Tapping her shoulder to get her attention, Adrian started signing. [It's no problem, Ruby. It's good to get out of the academy once in a while.]

Ruby smiled up at him, "Yeah, it is." They continued walking for a while longer before coming to a large shop set up at the end of one of the many streets. The neon sign flashed 'Locke and Load' above the entrance as they stood looking it over.

"This is the place." the cloaked girl said grinning widely and almost vibrating with excitement. Adrian looked from the building to her with a raised eyebrow.

It was common knowledge that Ruby was a weapon savvy kind of person, her sister referred to her as a gun-nut given how she designed her scythe-rifle as well as her obsession with weapons in general.

He'd even come back to the dorm room after studying in the library some time ago and found his G3A3 completely disassembled. The pieces neatly laid out on the floor while the young reaper looked each component over with a careful eye before reassembling the rifle with the speed of an expert. Ruby had been embaressed and a apologetic for taking his weapon apart without asking, but the soldier had been beyond impressed with how quick and accurate she'd been taking the gun apart and putting it back together.

She'd even cleaned a few parts that had been overlooked the last time he did maintenance. The girl had a gift with firearms.

Looking up at her companion, Ruby's smile nearly split her face as she grabbed his hand. "Come on!" she exclaimed before practically dragging him through the doors of the weapon shop.

Adrian stumbled, but managed to regain his footing. It was hard concept to grasp that he could fight an army of super soldier clones, a corporation with a shady agenda, his psychopathic brother, and the horrfying visions from his mother. But a girl half a foot shorter than himself was able to throw off his balance... _very_ hard concept to grasp.

Now standing in the store, the two teens took a moment to look around at everything. Weapons, mods and armor of all kinds, styles and sizes lined the walls and in reinforced cases scattered about, there was also a large surplus of dust and ammunition to fit all criteria of combat scenarios.

To any huntsman, huntress, soldier or mercenary, it had everything they could possibly need to get any mission done in a mutlitude of ways. But to someone like Ruby Rose, it was a literal paradise.

A loud yip of excitement emitted from the cloaked girl as she shot around the shop like a red bullet. Leaving a large trail of rose petals in her wake as she took in everything around her with the speed of a tornado.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! OH MY GOD!" she exclaimed as she looked at all the weapon mods with stars in her eyes. "They've got the updated Z25 thermal scope! AND the XTec long barrel! Crescent Rose would be even more awesome with both of those!"

Looking at his companion/team leader in this way, had just put the whole situation in the top ten oddest things he had ever encountered thus far. "Your friend really has a thing for weapons, doesn't she?"

Adrian looked to his left and was met with an older man standing beside him. Dark-red hair with grey streaks tied back in a ponytail that ended at the center of his back dressed in all black. A pair of revolvers sat in holsters on either leg with bayonets the size of combat knives attached to them sticking out of the bottoms.

The man turned from Ruby's oggling of the weapon mods to the ex-FEAR operative, revealing only one green eye, the other being hidden behind an eyepatch with three deep scars going across his face underneath it.

"The name's Viktor Locke, owner, proprioter and weaponsmith of this fine establishment." he said holding his hand out. Adrian shook it and signed his introduction as well.

[Adrian Wade, the girl is Ruby Rose.]

Viktor nodded, not at all put off by the mute greeting. "Judging by the weapons you two are carrying, can I assume that you're attending Beacon?" the ex-FEAR operative nodded, "Got a special going on for huntsmen and huntresses in training as long as you have the identification."

[Didn't you just open?] asked Adrian, wondering why the man would have that kind of deal if the place had just opened its doors.

"I did about a week ago, got some good business. But I figured I'd draw in more clientel this way. Besides, you kids are training to keep us safe and could use good equipment from time to time. So why not do my part to make sure that happens?" came the reply just as Ruby came over to join them after hearing the conversation.

"Are you a huntsman?" she asked looking down at his weapons.

Viktor smirked, "Used to be. But building weapons was always my passion and I wanted to give more than just slaying monsters...although that's still something I do from time to time." he said, hands resting on the handles of his revolvers.

Ruby grinned before motioning back at the mods she had been looking at, "How much for the Z25 and XTec?"

"The long barrel is 50 lien, but the scope is a new item so I can't go any lower than 125." said the store owner.

Biting her lip, the cloaked girl thought over her finances a moment or two before coming to a decision. "I'll go with the XTec for right now. Can't afford both at the moment." Viktor nodded and went over to the case to retrieve the gun barrel leaving the teens to keep looking around.

Adrian had been looking over a section with customizable rifles when something caught his eye. A rifle in a case by itself that was on display, it resembled an AK-47 but was a sleek black color, a red laser sight on the side of the barrel and a handgrip under it with a 2X scope on the top rail.

"Whoa..." he looked to his left and found Ruby observing the weapon as well. "An AR-M1 'Arsenal' (1). Fully customizable, high accuracy, low recoil, 40 round magazine...it's a work of art." she said with a little drool coming down from her open mouth.

"You certainly know you're firearms." said Viktor coming up beside them both. "I came across a weaponsmith that made these over in Vacuo during my travels as a huntsman, he was hoping to make them for the Atlas military but they didn't agree with the design or the materials used to make it."

He opened the case and took out the rifle to show them. "I followed the same design, but I made a few modifications to it that the original smith agreed with to make as my own." he pressed a button on the side by the trigger and the rifle started shifting.

The stock collapsed in on itselt and forming a handle while the grip folded downward allowing access to the trigger, a meter-long blade extended from underneath the barrel and shined in the light of the shop as the rifle became a sword with the banana-shaped clip still sticking out from it.

Viktor held the transformed weapon up and gave it a couple practice swings, "As you can see it's well balanced, the barrel/blade weighing just as much as the rest with the clip acting as a stablilizing point. In this form, the wielder can use it at close range and can still fire rounds with a pull of the trigger. The minor recoil is capable of adding more momentum with the wielder's swings causing more damage to a target."

Adrian looked the weapon over with calculating eyes as the man described it to them. It was indeed an impressive piece of machinery, and looked to be well built and intended for multiple fields of combat.

Holding out his hand, the shop owner nodded and handed him the rifle/sword. Viktor had been right, it was well balanced, and fit well in his hands as he held it in sword-form and swung it slowly to get a feel for it. The soldier had mostly been used to using firearms and knives, but something about this weapon felt...perfect.

Pressing the switch beside the trigger, the weapon collapsed back into its rifle-form and he held it up to his eye, looking down the scope with the stock pressed into his shoulder. It still felt perfect, the grips on the rifle were firm and ensured steady aim, the 2x scope allowed for medium to long-range, while the laser sight would allow for short-range without need of the scope in close-quarters.

It was practically a multi-purpose weapon for any combat situation.

Ruby watched her team mate/friend with the gun and couldn't help but smile. The look in his eyes told her everything and knew that he was interested in it. She'd seen this type of weapon before, but not with this number of modifications done to it. It was almost like Crescent Rose, except it was an assault rifle/sword and not a sniper-scythe.

And she had to admit, it looked good in Adrian's hands.

[How much?] the soldier asked looking at Viktor and lowering the weapon.

The store owner stroked his chin, "Honestly, you're the first person to ask about it. Most people feel the need to build their own while their in training. Since I customized it from the original design, and used a good amount of material...800 lien."

Adrian raised an eyebrow at the man and looked down at the AR-M1, the price was steep, and would put a considerable dent in his finances. But given the kind of training he was doing with the girls in his team, his G3A3, Straders and combat knife wouldn't work well somewhere down the road in terms of teamwork.

Firefights were one thing, but fighting against Grimm and other opponents with bladed weaponry would take more than just guns, epecially when they get in close. He may have been classified as a 'super soldier', but he wasn't foolish enough to rely only on his guns if given the chance to get another advantage in a fight.

Viktor looked as the ex-FEAR operative contemplated about the weapon and cleared his throat to get his attention. "You know what? Considering the chances of me actually selling this thing are slim, it's an uncommon weapon given how I made it, and since you're attending Beacon, I'll take 150 off. But that's all, I gotta make a profit."

Adrian smirked, [Sold.]

X

After making their purchases, the duo left the weapon's shop after letting Viktor know that they would definitely be back in the future, in Ruby's words. Although, given the amount of surplus the man had in his shop it would be beneficial to come back to stock up on ammo if need be.

Now back out in the city, they headed in the direction of the market district, it was around noon and a good time to grab something to eat from one of the many resturants or food stands that were set up.

Ruby hummed happily to herself as they headed down the sidewalk, Adrian walking calmly beside her, hands in his pockets with his new weapon strapped across his back. He may not have been intending on making such a large buy that day, but a part of himself couldn't wait to test out the new rifle at the academy shooting range and the training simulator.

But first he'd have to disassemble it to see how it functioned and how to properly clean it. One of the many things a soldier learned was to know your weapon inside and out, it was common sense before taking it out into the field.

"So what are you going to name it?" Adrian blinked and looked over at Ruby who was grinning at him. "You're new weapon, what are you going to name it?" she asked again.

[Why would I name my gun?] he signed to her, confused.

The question caused the young reaper to freeze, mouth gaping at him as though he had committed a crime. "Are you kidding?!" she exclaimed, making several other passersby jump from the volume. "Our weapons are extentions of ourselves! They're a part of us! You can't just not-name something that's a part of you!"

Adrian blinked at her again because of the outburst, as well as the amount of emotion and meaning she put behind her words. She obviously felt very strong about the subject and treated it very seriously.

When she calmed down, Ruby blushed and looked sheepish. "S-Sorry about that, I'm just really into weapons. I was always told that when you build a weapon you put part of your soul into it. Almost like an extra limb, it's part of who we are and there's a connection forged with the steel."

She looked off to the side a bit solumn, "People always looked at me weird for thinking like that. But most just don't understand the type of partnership we make with our weapons when becoming huntsmen and huntresses. Even if we never forge them, a connection can still be made if thw weapon feels right to us."

Surprisingly...her words made a little sense. Granted, every gun Adrian had ever used was pretty much a dime a dozen, there was no such connection like she had described.

Looking over his shoulder at the stock of the A1-M1, he realized that it indeed 'felt' better than anything he had ever used before. It felt right in his hands, almost like it was made for him to use and no one else, it couldn't be explained. Though, a lot of things revolving around his life couldn't be explained.

[Shade.] he signed, catching Ruby's attention. [I'll name it Shade.]

"It fits." the cloaked girl said looking at said weapon before looking nervous. "You...don't think I'm weird? You know...with my weapon obsession and what not?"

Adrian smirked, [People are weird in general, Ruby. I think that's why we're called 'unique'. And besides, you're not the strangest person I've met.]

Ruby smiled, "Well that's good..." she trailed of when she caught on to the other half of his statement. "HAY!" the soldier chuckled silently as they continued onward.

Neither of them seeing the tail they had following them from a distance.

X

On the rooftops, Paxton looked down at the street below and observed his brother spending the day with the red-cloaked girl.

His behavior...confused him. Adrian had always been the loner given what he was capable of, what he could find about his older sibling was proof of this after he had been resurrected. All the things he had learned from mother and Armacham when he helped Adrian escape incarceration had helping him fill in the gaps after they were separated as children.

Yet now, things were different. It seemed the short time he had spent at the academy he had been accepted into, as well as the people that he now surrounded himself with, were changing him. Becoming less and less like the hyper-lethal killer had been not so long ago as time went on.

But Paxton knew different. No matter how much his older brother tried to be 'normal' he would always be the 'first prototype'.

 **"Enjoy these moments of peace while you can, brother."** Paxton said as he watched the two below disappear into a cafe half a block down the street. **"You and I both know that they will not last for long. And one day soon, you will embrace that part of yourself that you've tried so hard to lock away."**

Turning on his heel, the psionic walked away with his hands behind his back. Fading into the wind like the ghost that he was and missing the yellow, white and black themed girls who were also following the duo.

X

It didn't take long for the remaining members of team RWBY to track down their leader and male team mate. Each of their scrolls could be tracked thanks to an app they installed a week after the year started, a safety measure encase something happened to one of them on a mission.

And it was the same app the three girls had used to find the duo.

"They went in here." said Yang lowering her scroll and pointing to a small cafe infront of them. It was a small out of the way place, but it sold good pasteries, coffee and tea to their patrons. And given the time of day there was a good number of people seated inside, perfect to blend in.

Slipping inside, they surveyed the dining area quickly. Blake bumped the other two gently and motioned to the far corner where Ruby and Adrian were both seated. The red-clad girl with a large cookie in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other while the soldier had a cup of coffee and a crossant.

Ruby was doing most of the talking, obviously, and Adrian nodded along with what she was saying.

Finding an out of the way spot they could keep an eye on the two, the trio made their own orders as they observed out of sight.

X

"...and then BAM! I took the last one's head off." Ruby finished her story about the first time she had ever fought the creatures of Grimm. "Uncle Qrow was impressed, he helped me make Crescent Rose the next day and started training me in how to wield her."

[Your uncle sounds interesting.] signed Adrian before taking a drink from his coffee.

"He and dad were on the same team together along with my mom. They've been best friends since their own time at Beacon, he's family." Ruby said, smiling at the fond memories, then became a bit solumn. "He was there for Yang and I when we were little, after mom died and dad was trying to pull himself together."

This peeked the soldier's interest, but saw how emotionally upsetting it was for her given she was using past-tense. He decided to divert the conversation another direction and be supportive as best he could. [What was your mom like?]

Ruby smiled again, "Mom...she was the best. Slayer of monsters and baker of cookies, telling me stories when I was little about heros saving the day and protecting the innocent. She's my inspiration for being a huntress."

She brushed a piece of red-tinted hair behind her ear, "Dad says I look a lot like her, and a piece of her will always live on inside of me..." she drifted off as she looked down at the table deep in thought. A few moments passed before she blinked away a couple tears and wiped her eyes, "How bout you? Do you have any close family?"

Adrian froze. Images of his brother, mouth and hands coated in blood as he tore flesh from people before devouring them.

Others appeared with Alma in her emaciated, skeletal-like form as she liquidated people from the inside out.

Blinking out of his stupor, he saw Ruby waiting patiently and breathed slowly. [A brother, and a mother.] he signed a little tensely.

The young reaper's silver eyes widened, "What are they like? Are you all close?"

Again, the ex-FEAR operative was met with more images in his mind's eye. His last encounter with Paxton when he was alive, and the gunshot from his hand that blew through his skull.

Switching to one of his mother in her child-form, fire spreading around her before she hurled him down a hallway and out a window.

[It's complicated.] he answered after another moment or two.

"Oh..." Ruby said, understanding that she stepped on a touchy subject. "Adrian? We're friends, right?"

Adrian looked up at her confused at why she would ask such a question. True, he didn't have many in the past, that he could remember, but he did consider Ruby and the others that way. Infact, they were a lot closer to him than most people ever had been.

[Yes. We're friends. Why?] he signed, wondering where she could be going with this.

"Well, friends trust each other and talk about things when something's not right." she looked back up at him imploringly. "Ever since the year started, and RWBY-A was formed, you've been very closed off about certain things. I'm not going to force anything out of you about it, that's not who I am and I trust you, but if you need someone to talk...well...sign to, then I'll always listen."

The smile she gave him when she was done speaking was disarming, to say the least. And Adrian knew right away that she spoke nothing but honesty, another one of the many things he learned about Ruby was that there wasn't a single dishonest bone in her body and showed it constantly.

Sighing deeply, the soldier met her gaze and started signing. [I trust you too. But there are things that I'm not ready to reveal, a lot of it I can't accept completely myself. My past is a big part of it.]

He saw her reach out and put her hand over his, her soft warm skin touching his and strangely bringing him a little comfort. "I get it. And I promise that I won't pry. I just want you to know that I'm here when you decide to let someone in." Ruby said not losing her smile. "It's my vow as your team leader, and your friend."

Adrian felt the ghost of a smile curl at his lips as they returned to their lunch. Finishing up and paying the bill before heading out to look around a bit more before heading back to Beacon.

On the other side of the cafe, Yang, Blake and Weiss watched them go after taking note of what they had been talking about. "Looks like Ruby managed to get through to him." said the heiress taking a sip from the tea infront of her.

"Ruby's always been like that," said Yang drinking her own beverage. "She's got that personality that people gravitate toward, it can't be explained, but dad said mom was the same way."

Blake went to speak when a small gust of wind blew through the small establishment. After everything settled, her sharp eyes were drawn to a folded napkin in the center of their table that hadn't been there before. "Guys?" she said getting the other girls' attention as she picked it up and opened it to see three words written on it.

 _Nice try ladies -_

It was Adrian's handwriting, that much was for certain and they slouched realizing they'd been found out. "Maybe Nora was right." said Yang crossing her arms. "Maybe he is a ninja."

 **A/N: Mostly dialogue here, but I figured that Adrian and Ruby needed a bit more one on one time to understand each other better. And with little brother watching his every move, it makes you wonder if Paxton has something up his sleeve involving their disgruntled little family.**

 **I'm hoping to make at least one to two updates per week with this story, so keep your thoughts and reviews coming guys!**

 **(1.) Bulgarian 'Arsenal' A1-M1: An assault rifle very similar to an AK-74 NATO 5.56, but more advanced and customizable. It was also used by the actor who played Pointman in the F3AR live action trailer and is on the cover of the game. Check out the trailer on youtube if you want to see it in action.)**


	10. Interval 09 - Jaunedice

**A/N:** **Two chapters within 48 hours, looks like I managed to get my groove back after all. With the addition of new chapters from my own thoughts, I haven't forgotten the baseline canon chapters from the RWBY story. That being said, I'm still incorporating them where they're needed, but changes will be made in order to make them more interesting with my own spin to them.**

 **That being said, be expecting a rather large change to the dynamic for not only the story, but one of the main characters as well within the next two installments. You'll see soon enough.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FEAR or RWBY**

Jaune Arc stood hunched over, breathing heavily with his shield in one hand and sword in the other. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep up with his opponent, there was just too much of an experience gap between them and he was severly outmatched.

Taking a deep breath, he stood to his full height, readying his weapons for another bout as he addressed his opponent.

Adrian stood across from him, his new weapon 'Shade' held in its rifle form as he looked back at the blonde knight. The fight had been pretty one-sided since the start, and for a while he'd been pulling his punches at a couple of points. But now...it was pretty easy to tell that Jaune wasn't as experienced compared to everybody in the room...and the entire school.

The knight braced himself and charged with a battle-cry. The soldier remained motionless until the last minute when he side-stepped the attack, Jaune turned around surprised before Adrian's boot came up and kicked against his chest. Sending the blonde and his shield flying back in different directions.

Jaune got back to his feet quickly and charged again with only his sword, going for another hail-mary strike. Adrian shook his head at the move, there was a fine line between courage and foolishness, and the knight had been on the wrong side of it the entire fight.

Converting his weapon to its sword-form, he swatted the blonde's blade aside with relative ease before taking him off his feet with a close-line. Planting his foot on Jaune's chest to keep him down, he raised Shade in the air...then pointed to the side.

Looking to where the blade was aimed, Jaune sighed when he saw his aura-meter on the main screen in the red while the ex-FEAR operatives was still solid green.

The lights around the atrium snapped on as the class applauded the two combatants. "Well done, Adrian." said Professor Goodwitch as she stepped out onto the stage with her opened scroll in hand. "You took notice of your opponent's level or aura and ended the fight before any serious damage could be done." She sent a stern look at Jaune as Adrian helped him to his feet.

"Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll while in combat. Gauging your aura will help you decide when it is appropriate to attack, or when it is time to move to a more defensive strategy."

Jaune took out his scroll and looked at his aura-level and sighed as the older blonde continued. "We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowulf, now would we?" she turned and addressed the rest of the class, "Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."

The bell rang signaling the end of class and everyone started to file out. Jaune picked up his dropped weapons and sulked off the stage, Pyrrah standing from her place and following with the intention of consoling her partner.

Adrian watched them go, wondering why it was taking the leader of JNPR so long to get a handle on things.

 **"It appears that not everyone is meant to be a warrior, wouldn't you agree?"** asked Paxton appearing to his left. **"Despite having a historical name, it is more than likely that he will become nothing more than a casualty. What a waste."**

The older of the two sent a leer at his brother before heading toward the locker room, leaving a chuckling Paxton behind him.

X

"So, there we were. In the middle of the night." Nora said ominously as the two teams sat together at their usual table at lunch.

"It was day." Ren corrected at her side while drinking tea.

"We were surrounded by Ursa." the girl continued.

"They were Beowolves." commented her partner.

"Dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

"But they were not match," Nora pressed on ignoring her partner, "And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boat load of lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"

Everyone at the table were in various states of paying attention. Yang seemed to be paying the closest attention. Blake were sitting quietly reading a book but were just as focused on the tale. Weiss was busy filing her nails. And Ruby and Pyrrah were busy sending worried glances at Jaune who was sulking and picking aimlessly at his plate.

The leader of JNPR feeling really down on himself after losing yet another match in combat class and falling farther behind the others.

Ren sighed when Nora finished speaking, "She's been having this reacurring dream for nearly a month now." he explained.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Pyrrah suddenly asked, snapping the blonde out from his stupor and diverting the conversation.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Why?" he asked after dropping his fork.

Ruby rubbed her hands a bit, "It's just that you seem a little... _not_ okay."

Jaune waved them off, "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously, look." He gave them a smile that they all knew was fake and exagerated. The sound of laughing from across the room drew the attention of the whole table and they saw team CRDL at another table across the room harrassing a female rabbit-faunus.

Even though Cardin had been somewhat pacified due to some unknown reason, he and his team still strutted up and down the halls like they were king of the mountain. Though every once in a while the burley leader would look around as though something were following him.

Jaune looked over at the table and was clenching one of his fists so tightly that the leather squeaked. Pyrrah noticed this and looked at him sadly, "Jaune, has Cardin been picking on you again? He's been at it since the first week of school."

"Who? Cardin Winchester?" he asked playing dumb. "Nah, he just likes to mess around. You know, practical jokes." All of his friends looked at him like he had grown a second head.

"He's a bully." Ruby said with narrowed eyes.

The leader of JNPR scoffed, "Please. Name one time he's 'bullied' me." he asked using air quotes.

"He knocks your books out of your hands every passing chance he gets." Ren started.

"He activated your shield so that you'd get stuck in the door on your way to class." Yang went next.

"And let's not forget the incident where he shoved you into your own locker and launched you off school grounds." Blake finished, not looking up from her book.

"I didn't land that far from the school." Jaune tried to reason with not a lot of conviction behind it.

Pyrrah shook her head in concern and laid her hand on her partner's "Jaune, you know that if you ever need help you just have to ask." she tried to reason.

"OH!" Nora exclaimed standing up. "We'll break his legs!" she said with a sinister gleam in her usually innocent eyes.

"Guys, really, it's fine." the blonde knight said standing up with his tray, "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone."

"OW! STOP THAT HURTS!" Everyone looked over at CRDL's table and saw Cardin yanking on one of the rabbit-faunus' long ears. "Please...stop..." she begged in pain as she tried to get away from her abuser.

"See, told you they were real." Cardin said laughing along with his team as he kept pulling. "What a freak!"

The laughter almost completely stopped which made the leader of CRDL look at them confused, each of them was dead silent and were pale. "What's wrong with you idiots?" he asked, keeping his hold on the poor girl's ear. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around...only for the color to drain from his face as well.

Adrian stood arms crossed with cold eyes burrowing into his. The memory of the beatdown he and his team had received from the male member of team RWBY was still very fresh, but more than that, ever since the incident strange things had been happening around them.

It was subtle at first, lights flickering and a slight chill in the air. Then they started to see and hear things, shadows moving on their own, whispers at night when they tried to sleep, then there was the nightmares ontop of that. Ones that would cause them to wake up shaking in terror from the images they had witnessed in their dreams.

None of them could explain it, but on some level they thought the soldier was somehow involved. Though they had no way of proving it.

Cardin's grip on the girl's ear slackened to the point she was able to escape him, backing away and looking on along with most of the cafeteria. "T-The hell's your problem, asshole?" he growled, but the shake in his voice was easy to pick up while Adrian stood unmoved.

Realizing how this was making him look infront of a good portion of the academy, Cardin decided to try and salvage the situation with brute force. Gritting his teeth and cocking his fist back before throwing it at the ex-FEAR operative.

This was something Adrian had been expecting, the team leader was one that would never learn from past mistakes and would have to be re-educated when it came to humility.

Catching the fist that was aimed for his face, the soldier grabbed Cardin's shoulder and used the momentum of the strike to bring him down and slam his face hard against the table. The impact throwing the slightly larger teen back and hitting the floor clutching his face in pain.

The rest of CRDL went to stand, but a single look from the soldier kept them rooted as he approached their downed leader and pressed his boot heel down on his face, crouching down to look him straight in the eye before making the 'I'm watching you' motion with his fingers before rising back up. Cardin grunted when he pressed harder on his face as he stepped on it and approached the girl he had been harrassing.

[You okay?] he signed making her perk up a little bit.

"Y-Yes...thank you." she replied, a hint of an accent in her tone meaning she must have originated from another kingdom. Her soft-brown eyes glanced over his shoulder and widened when she saw Cardin back on his feet and taking another swing at the back of her savior's head.

Adrian narrowed his eyes before activating his semblance, time slowing down as he spun around drilling his fist hard into the leader's face.

In terms of physics, in his reflex-state, the soldier was moving much faster than he normally would. His overall perception hightened to multiple times beyond normal levels which allowed him to see things around him moving at a slower rate even though to others time was still the same.

This in mind, when his fist struck Cardin, the force behind the blow was greatly enhanced thanks to the momentum he was moving in his reflex-state in addition to his strength. So it wasn't a surprise when the other student was sent hurling back, crashing through a table and slamming into the wall behind it hard enough to crack the stone.

A hushed silence befell the cafeteria as everyone looked at the unmoving form of Cardin Winchester, his aura the only thing stopping bones from breaking on impact as he laid on the floor unconscious.

Lowering his fist, Adrian looked at the rest of CRDL who looked on the verge of pissing themselves as his cold eyes locked onto them. Daring them to make the next move.

All three of them raised their hands, "W-We get it...b-backing off." Sky said as they stood, backing away slowly before gathering up Cardin and leaving the cafeteria as fast as they could drag him out the door.

Making sure they were gone, the ex-FEAR operative turned to the faunus he had helped and smiled, [Would you like to join my team for lunch?] he signed in question, acting as though he hadn't just sent another student flying with a single punch.

Blinking owlishly, the girl slowly shook her head, "N-No, thank you. I have to meet my team before class. I do appreciate the offer though." she smiled timidly. "Thank you again for helping me." with that she set off on her own way.

Adrian watched her go before heading to the front of the large room to grab something for himself. All the while his team and JNPR had watched the events with wide eyes.

Yang whistled, "Well, looks like the goon-squad's been knocked down several pegs."

"Impressive." said Pyrrah before narrowing her eyes at where team CRDL had been sitting. "And it couldn't have happened to a 'better' group of individuals." the others agreed, while all promising themselves to never get on Adrian's bad side...ever.

Jaune looked at the soldier, sighing dejectedly to himself.

X

The history of Remnant class was one of the many more mundane courses students had to take during their time at Beacon. Taught by Professor Bartolomew Oobleck, a historian, journalist and a huntsman that was as informative as he was accentric.

However, the students were hard pressed to even keep up with the lecture as he shot around the room like a deranged meth-head while talking a mile a second. His green hair spiked in multiple angles and his outfit looking like it has just been hazardously thrown on that morning completing the illusion.

More often then naught, the students would wonder what exactly the professor put in his coffee every day to be more hyper than Nora on a sugar rush. Considering he always had a mug or thermous in hand to keep his momentum going.

That day's lesson was about the Faunus Rights War, the front of the classroom was covered in documents and pictures all connected within a web of red strings to mark timelines as Oobleck shot around the room faster than Ruby and Adrian combined.

"Now, while this all must seem like ancient history to you." the professor said after his brief explination of the subject, and taking another drink of coffee. "It is imperitive that we remember that these are realitively recent events. Why the repercussions of the faunus uprising can still be seen to this day."

Oobleck took another drink from his cup before speaking again, "Now then, have any of you been subjected or discriminated for your faunus heritage?" a couple of students raised their hands, a moment later a few of the more hesitant ones raised theirs as well. "Dreadful, simply dreadful!" the man said taking another drink. "Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence. Why...why look at what happened to White Fang!"

"Now, which one of you young scolars can tell me what many theorists believe was the turning point in the third year of the war?" Weiss' hand went up. "Yes?"

"The battle at Fort Castle." said the heiress.

"Precisely!" the professor said appearing back at the head of the room. "And, who could tell me the advantage the Faunus had over the human forces?"

Jaune, who had been sleeping at his desk, perked up and making a surprised noise when a paper football connected with the back of his head getting Oobleck's attention. "Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class!" he said appearing before the blonde. "Excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?"

"Uhh...the...answer..." he wracked his brain for something, anything. "The advantage the Faunus had was..." he saw Pyrrah across the room signalling him the answer from the other side of the room. Making circles with her hands and fingers and putting them to her eyes. "Binoculars!"

There was a brief silence before a large group of people started laughing. Oobleck took another swig from his mug, "Very funny, Mr. Arc. Cardin, perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on the subject."

Cardin, whose face was bandaged yet again and recently released from the infirmary, responded. "Well, I know it's much easier to train an _animal_ than a soldier." he received a couple dark looks from some of the other students in response to his 'answer'.

"You're not the most open minded of individuals, are you Cardin?" asked Pyrrah.

"What? You got a problem too?" Cardin felt a chill go up his spine when he saw Adrian leering at him from his desk above the Mistral champion. Cracking his knuckles as if sending the warning of another 'lesson' he would be getting taught if he kept running his mouth.

"No, I have the answer." Pyrrah continued casually. "It's nightvision. Some faunus are said to have near perfect vision in the dark."

Blake picked it up from there, "General Lagoom made the mistake of trying to ambush the faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured." she looked over at Cardin, "Perhaps if he had payed attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure."

Cardin growled and stood up, freezing when he saw Adrian do the same, preparing to blink across the room and put him back down. "It is also wise to learn from past mistakes...or else you might be doomed to repeat them." the raven-haired girl added, reminding CRDL's leader about what had happened earlier

"Mr. Winchester, please take your seat." Oobleck said bringing the situation to an end before glancing at Jaune who was laughing to himself. "I want you and Mr. Arc to see me after class for additional readings." he stated before going back to his teaching. Leaving the blonde groaning in his seat.

Class had ended not too long after that, and with it being the last one of the day the students had the rest of the day to themselves.

Adrian was among the last to leave, Weiss and Blake heading in another direction to meet up with Ruby and Yang who had a different class while they were in history. The soldier decided to head up to his usual thinking spot on the roof of the dorms.

The day out with Ruby had been a very enjoyable one, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed in the company of someone else that didn't involve being in a combat zone. They talked about small things and he had gotten to know her a little better, and even though he didn't say much about himself, he was glad to know that she respected and trusted him enough not to pry it out of him.

On top of it all, he acquired a new weapon for his arsenal that had proven to be a worthwhile purchase. The A1-M1 Arsenal, aka Shade, really was a perfect fit for him and his style of fighting. And the training simulations on his own and with RWBY went about flawlessly.

Perhaps Ruby had been right about their weapons being extensions of themselves.

In the end, when the cloaked girl approached the idea of them hanging out again, Adrian couldn't help but agree. And he looked forward to it.

Heading up the stairs that would take him to the roof, opening the door at the top and stepped out into the cool night air, standing by the edge as he looked out over the campus. It had been a regular occurance for him to come here since his first day, allowing him time to just sit and think on things for a while without interruptions.

As if by an act of fate, the soldier felt a familiar flare of aura and mentally prepared himself for the appearence. **"Must you always play the hero?"** his little brother asked in regards to what happened earlier as they stood side by side. **"I find it a waste of time and effort to be sticking your neck out for those that are not worth it in the end. What is the point of coming to this academy if the students cannot stand for themselves in such mundane situations."**

Adrian shook his head, not even bothering with a mental response as he kept his eyes focused outward.

Paxton looked to his sibling, **"You're changing, brother. Becoming less and less of what you are, associating yourself with those that hinder your abilities. And you continue to believe that it will aid you and forgetting the past."**

 **"It's not possible, a past like ours cannot simply be forgotten, or escaped from. No matter how much you run or don't want to believe it, it will find you again. Everything comes full circle in the end, it's the natural order of things."**

The soldier turned to the apparition with a hard look. Paxton looked right back and shook his head, **"You know as well as I do that the past that we share, and the atrocities we endured, cannot be ignored. Armacham is responsible for what has been done to our family, to us and to mother, can you look your own blood in he eye and say that you can simply walk away from it while justice goes unanswered?"**

A small breeze picked up around them, filling the brief silence while the being of aura turned and gazed out at the distance once again, **"Though, I am not surprised given the events that led us here."** he paused, contemplating something before speaking again, **"I am curious about something that has been plaguing my thoughts for some time now."** Cold-blue orbs met steel-grey, **"How did it feel, to kill your own brother? Did you feel guilt? Regret? Did you feel anything at all, or simply let it go because you were 'following orders'?"**

Adrian stood staring back, the answer clear on his face and in his thoughts which made Paxton chuckle to himself. **"Or course, I didn't expect anything less considering. Regardless, the past cannot be changed now, but that doesn't mean it will not be answered for. I'm willing to let go of what we were forced to do to one another thanks to the people who created us, because in the end, it will be the two of us that will make them suffer and exact rightous vengence upon them."**

 **"The creations...destroying the creators."**

The door to the roof opened suddenly making the brothers snap their heads in that direction. Out of instinct, Adrian moved out of sight and hide behind a nearby air-unit before peering out and seeing Jaune and Pyrrah step out into the open and taking up the spot he and Paxton had taken up.

"Pyrrah, I know I'm going through a hard time right now. But I'm not _that_ depressed." said Jaune as he looked over the edge of the roof. "I could always be a farmer, or something."

The Mistral champion quickly realized what he was saying and yanked him away from the ledge. "NO!" she shouted before quickly regaining herself when they were safely away from the edge. "That's not why I brought you up here."

Pyrrah looked around them and continued speaking, "Jaune, I know you've been having a difficult time in class. And you're still not the strongest of fighters. So, I wanna help you."

"What?" Jaune asked a little dumbstruck.

"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us." explained his partner further, being as genuine as she sounded.

The blonde knight scratched his head, "You...think I need help?"

"N-No! No, that's not what I meant." Pyrrah said backtracking a little.

"But you just said it." Jaune said back.

The red-haired girl sighed, "Jaune, everyone needs a little push from time to time, it doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon, that speaks volumes of what you're capable of."

Turning away from her, the blonde knight sighed, "You're wrong. I don't belong here."

"That's a terrible thing to say. Of course you do!" Pyrrah said stunned.

"No I don't!" Jaune snapped back, leaving his partner speechless as he sighed deeply. "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon."

"W-What do you mean?" Pyrrah asked, trying to understand.

"I mean I didn't go to combat school! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy!" Jaune vented. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied."

Neither of them said anything for a moment or two, Pyrrah processing what had been unveiled to her. "But...why? Why would you do that?" she finally asked.

"Because, it's something I've always wanted to be." said the knight as he looked out over the academy. "My father, my grandfather and his father before him were all warriors, they were all heros! I wanted to be one too...I was just never good enough..."

Pyrrah reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, "Then let me help you-"

"I DON'T WANT HELP! I DON'T WANT TO BE THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS! I WANT TO BE THE HERO!" he exclaimed while brushing her off.

"Jaune, I'm-" the Mistral champion tried to speak but was cut off again.

"I'm tired of being the loveable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives. Can't you understand?! If I can't do this on my own...then what good am I?" he saw her reach for him again and he backed away. "Just, leave me alone. Okay?" he said turning from her.

Pyrrah looked at him with a broken expression, "If..that's what you think is best." she said before turning and heading back toward the door.

From his spot out of sight, Adrian looked on in bewilderment as everything clicked into place.

Someone with no form of training, lying his way into one of the most well renowned combat schools on the planet. And on top of that, he just brushed off someone who would have done anything to help him survive the next four years because of self-rightousness.

Jaune Arc was by far the most foolish, ignorant, and _stupid_ person he had ever known. And his actions in the end of all of this would lead to only bad outcomes for himself and the team he was supposed to be leading. Honestly, what was he thinking?!

 **"My, my, so the so called 'white knight' it nothing more than a commoner with thoughts of grandure."** said Paxton from his spot leaning on the said of the air unit with his arms crossed. **"His foolishness is only matched by his incompetence in a fight. It would be amusing, if it wasn't so pitiful."**

The psionic's gaze turned to the other side of the roof, a bladed-smirk appearing on his lips. **"And it would appear things are about to get a lot more difficult for him."** Adrian followed his gaze and saw a chuckling Cardin Winchester pull himself up onto the rooftop from the open window below.

He remained in the shadows and continued to observe as the larger student approached a shocked and fearful Jaune.

"Oh Jaune, I couldn' help but overhear you two from my dorm room." said Cardin with a grin.

"C-Cardin?!" Jaune yelped as he stumbled back a step.

"So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel." the bigger student said sounding impressed.

The blonde held out his hands, "Cardin, please. Please! Please don't tell anyone."

Cardin acted wounded, "Jaune, come on, I'd never rat out a friend like that."

"A-A friend?" asked Jaune just before he was pulled into a headlock.

"Of course! We're friends now Jauney-Boy. And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me, we'll be friends for a _long_ time." Cardin released the knight, leaving him gasping on the ground. "That being said, I really don't have the time to do those extra readings Oobleck gave us today. Think you can take care of that for me, _buddy_?" he asked ruffeling his hair.

Releasing a defeated sigh at the situation, Jaune nodded. "That's what I thought." said Cardin grinning wider as he headed to the edge of the roof and started climbing back down to his dorm. "And don't worry Jaune, your secret's safe with me."

It took a little time before a morally defeated Jaune left the roof and headed down to the dorms. Adrian stepped out of hiding and stood in the open with his arms crossed, Paxton appearing beside him with a look of amusment on his face.

 **"That was certainly interesting. And here I thought things would get boring at this academy, it's quite entertaining to watch the living mentally and emotionally destroy themselves in such a way."** the psionic turned to his brother, the older sibling's face giving nothing away before he started making his way to the door.

Even though Adrian's mind was closed of from what he was thinking, Paxton had been able to get a sliver of what was going through his head making him sigh. **"One of these so called 'friends' of yours will undoubtedly lead you to your demise. You do understand that?"**

The soldier stopped at the threshold of the door for a moment before disappearing inside. The apparition shook his head in exasperation before fading away into the night.

 **A/N: While writing this out, I tried to keep both Jaune and Cardin's personalities similar. Because let's face it, Cardin's a meat-head who literally needed humility beaten into him, and Jaune's a moron for lying his way into beacon without combat experience _AND_ pushing Pyrrah away when she was trying to help him in the beginning.**

 **With Adrian knowing the situation, it leaves a rather large roll for him to play in the coming chapter involving our lovable oaf of a knight. And even though he's condescending with his cruel words, you can almost tell that Paxton may or may not be involved as well.**

 **The trip to Forever Fall is next guys, leave your reviews and I'll update ASAP!**


	11. Interval 10 - Forever Fall

**A/N: Given the recent news reports, I've decided to forgo my usual banter in my author's note to speak out to our brothers and sisters over in Paris.**

 **I wish you all the best through this horrible time, and hope that swift, righteous justice is dealt to those ISIS bastards for what they've done. My heart and prayers go out to the friends and families of those who lost loved ones on Friday 11/13/2015, and to my fellow readers/writers in France, I stand with you like the countless others here in the US and on this site.**

 ** _Vive la France!_**

 _Bang!_

Half an inch too far to the left, he picked up the tool he needed to make the adjustment before looking down range.

 _Bang!_

Quarter inch too far to the right, he redid the adjustment and tried again.

 _Bang!_

Bullseye. Adrian took his eye away from Shades scope as he assessed the target 30 meters down the firing range that had a cluster of bullet holes in the center of mass. The one difference he had learned between regular firearms and one's that converted was that they needed to be checked over more often. The sword/rifle was a reliable weapon, and to keep it that way he needed to perform maintenance at least one to two times a week.

And most of the time, he wasn't the only one at the range working on his equipment.

Ruby stood at a table on the wall opposite of the shooting booths, Crescent Rose laying next to her in its compact weapon form with the scope removed. The cloaked girl currently working on the attachment with a level of concentration she reserved for this form of delicate task.

"Aaaaaannnnndddd...done." she said smiling as she finished putting the scope back together and reattaching it to her sweetheart before taking to the closest booth. Loading a fresh clip in and chambering the first round, she shifted her sniper/scythe to its full form, laying it on the table before her with the crescent shaped blade aimed to the floor and looking down the sight at the target set up 90 meters down range.

 _BANG!_

The large weapon kicked, but Ruby didn't even flinch and practically absorbed the recoil thanks to all her training with it. The large slug punched though dead-center causing the girl to beam brightly. "Bingo! I knew the new lense would work."

She fired off a couple more rounds to be sure the setting was correct before bringing Crescent Rose back over to the table to finish maintenance. Adrian having taken up the other side while he finished cleaning Shade.

"Thinking about any new upgrades?" she asked picking up a cleaning rag and tending to the barrel of her weapon.

[Everything's set to the way I need it. Anything more could throw things off.] he signed while using a small brush to clean out the firing chamber of his. Ruby nodded in understanding as they did their tasks in silence.

Things around school had been a little, unbalanced in the last week and a half. After Adrian had overheard Jaune disclose his well kept secret to Pyrrah, which had also been overheard by Cardin, the blonde knight spent every waking moment with team CRDL. The team of thugs using him as their personal doormat and forcing him to do everything and anything they wanted him to.

Because of this, team JNPR was without a leader and their circle of friends had an empty chair which left everyone wondering what was going on and why they were being avoided. Pyrrah being the one that was taking it the hardest, and all but brushed off Jaune whenever he attempted to speak with her.

The ex-FEAR operative had observed everything from the sidelines, watching as everyone went through the motions. Personally, he still believed the knight to be foolish and idiotic for his actions to get into Beacon.

But now he also considered him a coward. Willing to degrade himself and become nothing more than a servant to a group of disgraceful, arrogant and worthless excuses for warriors. On top of that, he was supposed to be a leader, and he willingly abandoned his team in order to keep his dirty little secret.

A true soldier would have gone down fighting for the good of those around them, no matter what the outcome became regarding their own status. Jaune Arc may have considered himself a failure because of his lack of skill as a warrior, but it was his lack of character and willingness to do what was needed for the good of his team.

After everything he's seen and heard about the situation, the blonde deserved to be kicked out of the academy on principal before he got himself or someone else killed because of his incompetence.

However, there was one small piece of information that he knew for certain that turned things in another direction.

Given the level of skill required to pass in order to gain acceptance to this school, there was no way in hell that Ozpin would have easily overlooked something like falsified transcripts. There was too much of a security risk if they didn't take steps to ensure that any and all incoming students that wished to attend weren't a threat or not up to the level required. The security of this academy was almost as tight as a military base, you'd have to be a master of infiltration in order to gain entry without raising red flags.

And Jaune didn't seem to be a master of such a criteria.

So either Ozpin wasn't that good of a headmaster, which was highly unlikely, or he knew Jaune lied his way in and instead allowed it for one reason or another. It seemed almost equally unikely, but at the same time was the only plausable answer.

Adrian finished cleaning his weapon as he continued to contemplate the situation he was currently, and secretively, apart of. He knew Jaune's secret, he knew why he was forced to be around CRDL, and he was the only one, other than Jaune himself, in any position to do something about it. But the question was, _should_ he do anything about it?

"Hay Adrian?" the soldier looked up when Ruby had spoken, she having finished cleaning Crescent Rose and was currently packing away the tools she had been using. "Are you busy this weekend?" she askeed with her cheeks tinting a little bit.

[Got to study for Oobleck's test, but other than that I'm free. Why?] he signed back curious.

The red clad girl fiddled with the hem of her cloak before meeting his gaze, "Well, there's this new horror movie playing friday night. I wanted to know if you wanted to go see it with me."

Adrian looked curious and signed back, [What about the others?]

Ruby's blush deepened. Truthfully, she hadn't asked any of the others about going out this weekend like last time, instead she wanted another opprotunity to hang out with Adrian again. Alone.

Their last outing together left her feeling very good, she couldn't remember the last time she had felt so happy around someone other than family. Ruby also felt as though she started to form a good, strong connection with him during their talks. He may have still kept his past close to the chest, but she was patient, and knew that he would go to her when he was ready to talk about it.

But more than that, the warmth she felt in her chest whenever he was around had gotten stronger as well. She still didn't have an explination for it, but she liked the feeling and took every moment she could to be around the soldier and enjoy the time they had together. Though that didn't mean she didn't make time for all of her other friends and her sister as well.

"I actually thought that it could be just the two of us again since it isn't a team training weekend." the young leader said, doing her best to keep her voice level and avoid cracking in nervousness.

Adrian was a little surprised at the offer given, even after they had spoken about hanging out again, but it was one he had been secretly looking forward to since the last time they went to Vale together.

Given all the time they had been spending together, he felt more and more comfortable around her compared to everyone else. Of course that didn't mean that he wasn't comfortable around the others, but with Ruby it felt as though he didn't have to wear his mental and emotional armor so much. She had this strange way of getting past his barriers that both troubled him, and made him realize that he didn't have to put up as strong a front like he usually did.

Not only that, he felt... _different_ when he was around her. In the past, he followed orders and respected his superiors like any soldier did. But with Ruby, there was a loyalty beyond anything he had experienced.

Even in the heat of combat while they trained, her voice would cut through the chaos and reach his mind in a way no one had ever done before.

He also found himself very protective of the cloaked girl as well. More than once he fought the urge to charge the combat stage in the atrium during class when her opponent would catch her off guard. Paxton had seen one such incident and questioned him on it, but he didn't have an answer and was just as confused as he was.

It was like another instinct, similar to the ones he had while in a firefight that helped him avoid danger. Feeling like a pull in his chest that always aimed him at her no matter where one or the other was.

Seeing the anticipation for his answer in her eyes, Adrian couldn't help the small smile that graced his face as he nodded. [Sure. Let me know what time and we can head out then.] he signed making Ruby beam happily.

"I'll send you a message later with the details." she said folding Crescent Rose into its compact form and slipping it on her belt and checking the time. "Wow, it's late. We better turn in, we have that field trip to Forever Fall forest tomorrow to get ready for."

[I'll be right behind you. Have to finish up.] the ex-FEAR operative signed while turning back to Shade. Ruby smiled again and gave a wave as she left the shooting range, leaving him on his own while he continued working on the weapon before him.

 **"You're making a mistake, brother."** Adrian felt his good mood disappear, but didn't look up from his task when he felt Paxton's aura behind him.

The apparition walked around the soldier and stood at his side, **"Getting closer to that girl will only make things harder for you in the end. She is too,** _ **sickeningly**_ **, innocent for her own good, she can't hope to comprehend you and our family's existence."**

Adrian continued to ignore him on the subject, a sliver of frusteration going through Paxton, though he didn't let it show as he leered at his older brother. **"Do you think she will still care about you when she discovers the truth?"**

That question made the soldier pause, **"How long do you plan to keep the facade of normality? How long will you continue to try and ignore what is in your blood?"** the being of aura continued. **"No matter how hard you try, you won't stop the inevitable. The world turned its back on us once before, it will do so again."**

Paxton started to walk away, but not before sending one last bit of parting words over his shoulder, **"Think long and hard about those you involve yourself with, brother. You don't have the best of records for keeping friends around you alive, after all."**

Adrian spun around, Strader in hand ready to shoot. But Paxton was gone, his aura vanishing completely as he went to god only knew where.

Lowering his arm, he clicked the safey back on the pistol before holstering it again. As much as he didn't want to, he couldn't help but dwell on his little brother's words. Not so old memories resurfacing as he remembered the violent deaths of his squadmates, and the fear that came with the thought of those he was with now would suffer a similar fate.

Thankfully it didn't last long, the more rational part of his mind managed to stamp down on the thoughts and close them off. Paxton was a master at mind games, one of the many reasons why he must have excelled as a psychic commander, and he wouldn't put it past the apparition to try and put doubts in his head with how things were going right now.

Brothers they may be, but Adrian would never let what Paxton was turn him down a similar path. Not if he could help it.

Finishing with Shade, the soldier left the shooting range and made a stop at the locker room to store it for the trip they would be taking the next day before making his way to the dorm. Given the hour, everyone else had already turned in to either sleep or do last minute school work meaning the halls were empty save for him. The only sounds being made being his feet on the carpeted floor as he entered the residential wing of the academy.

However through the silence, his ears perked up when he heard the sound of people talking around the next corner where RWBY and JNPR's dorms were located.

Approaching the corner, he peered around to see Ruby and Jaune talking with one another. The former in her pajamas ready for bed while the latter was in his armor and slumped on the floor.

"I screwed up." the blonde knight said sounding defeated and worn. "I did something I shouldn't have, now Cardin's got me on a leash, and Pyrrah won't even talk to me...I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea...I'm a failure..."

"Nope."

Jaune looked up at Ruby confused, "Nope?"

"Nope." repeated his fellow leader, "You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure." Ruby's voice said in the quiet halls.

"But...what if I'm a failure at being a leader?" Jaune's voice said back sounding defeated.

"Hmm...Nope." came the innocent reply.

The knight chuckled, "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

"Nope." Ruby said shaking her head as she sat down beside him, "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid. You might have been a failure the first time we met. But you can't be one now. You know why?"

Jaune scratched his head, "Uhh...because...?"

"Because it's not just about you anymore." the younger teen said honestly standing back up. "You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do. And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us. We have to put our team mates first, and ourselves second."

"You're team deserves a great leader, Jaune." she continued. "And I think that can be you." opening the door to her room, Ruby looked back at the blonde. "Have a good night, Jaune." with that the door closed and the knight was left alone.

Adrian was impressed with Ruby's speaking skills, her ability to inspire people and get through to them was something many leaders needed to get others to follow them.

He watched Jaune reach for his door handle when his scroll went off.

Looking down, he sighed as he opened it up. 'Hay, it's your buddy Cardin. I know you're probably busy with that dust project I gave you. Buuuuuut, I'm gonna need you to go out and collect a bag of Rapier Wasps. And make sure they got really big stingers. It's important, so don't screw this up.'

Sighing in defeat, Jaune trudged his way up the hall, around the corner and toward the exit to the dorms.

Out of the shadows, the soldier stepped out and watched him go with his arms crossed. His earlier thoughts about this very situation coming back to him, along with the question on whether or not he should do something given what he knew.

Then there was the matter of what Cardin was planning with those insects he sent Jaune to collect. Rapier Wasps were a very tempermental insects, angering one angered the entire hive, and their stings were very painful...and deadly if enough of them stung you at one time. So whatever the leader of CRDL had planned with them was anything but good.

And since it was just RWBY-A, JNPR, CRDL and Professor Goodwitch going out into the field the next day, any of them could be the intended target.

The ex-FEAR operative clenched his fist, whatever Jaune was going through wasn't his issue to deal with, the knight would have to make his own decisions and figure out his own path if he wanted any hope of being the hero he so badly wants to become. But it would be a cold day in hell he'd let something happen to any of the others because of Cardin and his fellow assholes.

After taking a moment to collect himself, Adrian headed to his dorm and entered silently as to not awaken the girls. Already formulating a plan to ensure that Cardin's little plan failed...painfully if need be.

X

The forest of Forever Fall really did live up to the name. Every tree that covered the land had bright red leaves which made all of those passing through believe that the place was in a perminent state of autumn. And like with many places around Vale, it held a lot of history, as well as a good population of Grimm.

Adrian walked with his team, Shade in hand as he scanned every treetrunk around them for movement that could be deemed hostile. A pack slung over his shoulder housing the supplies they would need for the assignment they would be undertaking during their time out here.

Occasionally, his gaze would drift to team CRDL who were chuckling as they watched Jaune attempt to carry all of their supplies for them. The soldier's eyes locking on the bag Cardin was carrying with him that had a distinct square shape to it, and if one were to be close enough, could hear buzzing coming from within.

"Yes students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful." said Professor Goodwitch as she led them in deeper, taking in the sights and sounds that surrounded them. "But, we are not here to sightsee. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep within this forest."

She stopped causing all the students to do the same as she turned to them. "And I am here to make sure that none of you die while doing so." she stated rather bluntly. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of creatures of Grimm. So be sure to stay by your team mates."

Goodwitch motioned to the spot where they were now standing, "We will randevous back here at four o'clock. Stay vigilant, and have fun." with that she began to make her way back toward the bullhead while the teams took out their supplies and began to pick out trees.

Jaune went to move toward his team when Cardin grabbed his shoulder, "Com'mon _buddy_. Lets go." he said before dragging the blonde off with his team.

The others watched him go confused, with a couple looking concerned before they got to work collecting their sap.

Adrian watched them go with narrowed eyes before picking out his own tree after handing out the supplies to the rest of his team. Slinging his weapon over his shoulder, he tapped the tree and collected the thick, red liquid that dripped out in the jar until it was almost full before capping it and setting the glass container aside.

Looking around and seeing the others going about their business, he stood up and approached Ruby and tapped her shoulder getting hers and Weiss' attention. [Got my sap. I'm going to patrol the perimeter.] he signed before unslinging his rifle and making his way toward the trees.

"Okay, send a message if you need backup!" she called after him before going back to work.

"You sure it was a good idea letting him go off alone like that?" asked Ren from the tree he and Nora were at, sighing in frusteration when the orange-haired girl chugged the jar of sap he just barely finished filling.

Yang handed a full jar to Blake before starting on another one, "I'd be more worried about the Grimm. He'd better save us a fight or two if things heat up around here."

Ruby returned to her task, but something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking out into the forest, she blinked a few times when she saw someone half-standing behind one of the trees mostly out of view, but she could make out a curtain of midnight-black hair and a lone glowing eye looking back at her.

"Ruby! Pay attention!" Weiss exclaimed making her jump and look down to see she overfilled the jar in her hands.

"Oops!" she yelped, quickly switching out with an empty one and filling it while her partner dealt with the excess in the other. She looked back into the trees, but whoever had been there was gone.

There had been something familiar about them, she just couldn't recall where.

X

He waited until he was out of sight of the others before diverting his direction and heading off to where he'd seen Jaune and CRDL disappear to. It wasn't hard to track them, they'd left a big enough trail to follow that he barely had to try. Finding Cardin and his team all lounging around a small clearing a minute later.

Adrian ducked out of sight, rifle held loosly in his hands as he peeked out and watched as Jaune came stumbling out into the open with six jars of red sap roughly stacked in his hands.

"Hay, great work Jauney-boy. Now that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin said with a smirk while the knight collapsed in exhaustion on the ground.

Jaune groaned, "I...think I'm allergic to this stuff..."

"Yeah, great." the bully said getting up and standing over him. "So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'why my buddy Cardin asked me to collect six jars of tree sap, when there's only five of us'.

"That is one of the many questions I asked myself today. Yes." the blonde said as he slowly got back to his feet.

Cardin's smirk widened, "Well, come with me and you'll find out." The group started moving through the forest again, completely unaware of the soldier shadowing them as they stopped at a ridge that overlooked a clearing where the others were busy gathering their own jars of sap.

Situating himself behind the closest tree, Adrian leaned out and continued to listen.

"Cardin...what's going on?" Jaune asked feeling very uncomfortable with what might be happening.

"Payback." the bully said, his eyes narrowing on the group of seven below them. His gaze settling on Pyrrah as she knelt down and collected the red liquid from the tree before her. "That's the girl, red hair, know it all, thinks she so smart."

"Hay, where's that fucker Wade at?" asked Sky as he searched for ex-FEAR operative.

"Don't matter. He'll get his soon enough." Cardin stated with his grin turning feral as he reached back and took out a small box that was buzzing loudly from within. "Alright boys, last night Jaune here gathered up an entire box of Rapier Wasps. And now, we're gonna put them to work."

Jaune's face paled when he started to put together what CRDL had planned for his friends.

"Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me, these nasty things love sweets." Cardin said as he drummed his fingers on the lid of the box. "I think it's time we teach these nobodies what happens when you mess with us." they all stood up, Cardin pulling Jaune up as well as he shoved a jar of sap into his hands. "And _you're_ going to do it."

"What?!" the knight said in shock.

"Hit the red-headed bitch with the sap, or I'll have a nice long chat with Goodwitch. And you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon." the bully threatened. Jaune looked down at the jars in his hands, his mind conflicted on what to do as team CRDL all stood smirking at him.

Russell stood at the back of the group, to busy enjoying the knight's plight that he didn't notice the individual sneaking up behind him. A hand clamping over his mouth and an arm tight around his throat making it impossible for him to make any noise as he was dragged into the shadows.

Adrian tightened his grip on the other teen's throat, further cutting off air supply. Now that he knew what they were up to, he wasn't planning on letting them go through with it. When Russell stopped struggling and fell limp after being knocked out, he tossed him to the ground just as Jaune spoke his answer.

"No." he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What did you say?" asked Cardin.

Clenching his fist tighter around the jar, "I said," he spun around and hurled the jar at them. "No!" The glass shattered on Cardin's chest armor and splattering the sap all over it.

A chilled silence filled the air as the three bullies all glared hatefully at a now fearful Jaune Arc. "Oh...you've done it now." the leader said with a growl as they started to close in on him. "You think this makes you tough? Makes you a big strong man now? Is that it?"

He threw a punch at Jaune who held up his hands in defense. A white glow emitting around him at the last moment. When Cardin's fist connected it felt like punching a brick wall, causing the bully to stumble back clenching his hand in pain. "What the hell?!"

The ex-FEAR operative used the distraction to creep up behind Dove and Sky, grabbing the back of both their heads and slamming them together hard enough to take them both down. Cardin spun around, still holding his hand and barely had a second to register the rest of his team being down before the butt of a rifle slammed against the side of his face sending him crashing to the dirt.

He tried to stand, and was immediately stuck again crashing right back down again. A swift kick to the gut flipping him over so that he was now looking up to see Adrian leering right back down at him, Strader in hand aiming at his face.

"Whoa! WHOA! What the hell?!" Cardin exclaimed putting his hands up. "Why are-" the soldier slammed his boot down on his head hard enough to make him see stars before motioning to the still sealed box of Rapier Wasps and then to the still unsuspecting group of their peers. Telling him he knew what the leader was planning.

"T-That was Jaune's idea!" Cardin tried to lie, "He-He doens't even belong here! We were tryin-" Adrian clicked the hammer back on his pistol making the bully go quiet instantly. A very tense silence filled the air as the soldier burned a damning gaze into the bully's eyes, a look reserved only for enemies that he had the intention of removing from the land of the living.

Cardin Winchester was a pathetic, disgusting excuse for a huntsman. No doubt he would use his status after Beacon to abuse his power and make the lives of others unbareable, removing him from the equation completely would save a lot of issues later.

"Adrian." the ex-FEAR operative kept his eyes on the one he was holding at gunpoint, but tilted his head to the side to let Jaune know he had heard him. "He's not worth it, none of them are. Don't waste the bullet."

The strength in the knight's words was a little surprising, whether it was courage after finally stepping up or a bit of bravado now that CRDL was on the ropes was yet to be seen, but it was enough for Adrian to back up. Clicking the hammer of his Strader forward and lowering it as he stepped away from Cardin who scrambled back to his feet.

Taking a couple deep breaths, the taller leader glared at Jaune. "Don't think for a second this solves anything, you're as good as gone when I-" he was silenced when the blonde's fist connected hard with the side of his face sending him staggering back.

Jaune waved his hand in pain, but didn't back down. "I don't give a damn if I get kicked out of Beacon. I'm not going to let you hurt my friends. So take your damn wasps and shove 'em!"

He had barely gotten the words out when a loud roar echoed through the forest. A moment later, a huge form came bursting out of the trees and appeared in the clearing. The towering form of an Ursa Major rose up on its hind-legs and let loose a bellowing roar that shook the surrounding trees.

Sweeping its head from side to side, the large Grimm sniffed at the air before turning toward the downed form of Cardin. It's glowing red eyes locking on to his chest armor where the red sap was still present.

He attempted to stand and run, but the creature's paw slashed through the air and send him crashing to the dirt several feet away. His aura dropping like a lead weight from the one hit alone as he tried to crawl away.

But the Ursa Major was already upon him before he managed to get too far. Knocking him hard to the side once again as it continued after him.

Adrian unslung his rifle and raised it to his eye to shoot when Jaune ran past him brandishing his sword and shield.

When the large Grimm went to take nother swing, it was met with the hard metal of the knight's shield as he deflected the blow. With a battle cry, Jaune slashed with his sword and scoring a hit along the Ursa Major's chest.

Watching the knight fight against the creature and managing to hold his own, the soldier kept his weapon at the ready incase it became too much for him or if more showed up. "JAUNE!" he looked over his shoulder and saw Pyrrah, Ruby and Weiss running up and joining him.

They looked ready to jump into the fray, but Adrian raised his hand stopping them. [This is his fight. Let him do it.] he signed as they all looked on.

Jaune ducked and dodged his way around the Grimm's attacks, taking a couple of hits but getting right back to his feet and charging straight back into it. Trying to attack the creature from different angles and find a weakness in its defense. Another hit sent him crashing to his back, checking his shield where his scroll was set up, he found his aura dropping into the red and knew that he couldn't take much more.

Steeling his resolve, he charged the Ursa Major one final time. The Grimm doing the same with a bellowing roar as they met in the middle of the clearing.

Time slowed to a crawl as the two began to swing at one another. Pyrrah looked on and noticed that Jaune's shield was too low and he would have his head taken off by the creature's claws before his attack would land.

Raising her hand, a black glow began to encase her arm that then surrounded her partner's shield. Causing it to lift just high enough to deflect the Ursa's attack and send it wide, giving Jaune the opening to slash high with his sword and take its head clean off its shoulders.

Adrian looked over at the spartan and raised an eyebrow after seeing what she had done. "Uhh...what?" Ruby asked wondering what had just happened.

"How did you..." Weiss added wanting to know the same thing.

"Well," Pyrrah began. "Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs. My semblance is polarity."

Ruby gasped, "You can control polls?"

The heiress shook her head at her partner's ignorance, "No you dunce, it means she has control over magnitism."

"Magnets are cool too." the cloaked girl muttered. As they watched Jaune walk over to Cardin, pointing the tip of his sword at the other teen's face "Don't _ever_ threaten my team, my _friends_ again. Got it?" Without another word he walked away leaving the now defeated bully behind him. The knight looked at his partner with a sad expression, "Pyrrah, I'm sorry. About everything."

Pyrrah looked him in the eye for a few moments before smiling. The group started heading back to where the others would be waiting for them, Adrian looking back at Cardin, who had just gotten back up, and sent one last warning glare his way before following with them.

Cardin gritted his teeth and glared at the ground. Not only had his plan failed, he'd been made a laughing stock by a pathetic loser and his damn friends.

His fists clenched tightly and shook. They were going to pay, all of them were going to pay for this. Starting with Arc, then that damn freak who wouldn't stop interferring with him and his team.

 **"You know, a smart man would know when to cut his losses and give up."** the leader's head shot up and looked around when he heard the voice resonate from somewhere closeby. But there was no one there, his team mates having awoken and fled during the fight with the Ursa Major.

 **"But then again...you're not a very smart man, are you, Cardin Winchester?"** the voice spoke again.

"Who the fuck are you?! Where are you hiding?!" Cardin demanded, picking up his mace and looking everywhere for the person. "Show yourself, dammit!

A dark chuckle echoed through the clearing, **"If you insist."** the large teen was suddenly struck by a powerful blast of red energy, his body freezing in place and unable to move a single muscle except for his eyes.

From the shadows of the surrounding trees, Paxton Fettel strolled out into the clearing, hands behind his back and red aura flowing around him like flames. **"Looks as though my brother couldn't beat intelligence into that thick skull of yours. Luckily, I possess a far more effective method that you may find hard to ignore."**

He held up a hand and energy started to gather in it, a blade-like smile spreading across his face, **"Of course, the chances of you surviving this are slim at best. But what's a little risk when it comes to teaching an important subject."** Paxton slammed his palm into Cardin's forehead, his frozen body started convulsing in its frozen state, eyes wide in agony and horror as a barrage of terrifying images were shoved into his brain.

 **"Pain, is by far the best teacher one will ever have, after all."** the apparition chuckled again before it turned into full blown maniacle laughter that echoed throughout the forest, followed swiftly by the inhuman screams of terror.

X

Professor Ozpin had seen and experienced many things in his time as both a huntsman and headmaster of Beacon academy. But standing in the lobby of the infirmary with Glynda as several doctors attempted to help one of the students.

Looking to the other side of the waiting room, she saw the other three members of team CRDL sitting tensely as they waited for news on their leader. Their faces ashen and had been that way since they had found him after hearing the blood curdling screams in Forever Fall.

The headmaster knew what had transpired with the Ursa Major, but everything after that was unknown considering Cardin had been alone when the fight ended. And in the state they had found him in, the leader wasn't in any position to be explaining anything.

Everyone looked up when the doors opened and the head physician stepped out and approached them. "How is he?" asked Ozpin, wondering about the condition of the student.

The doctor rubbed his eyes and shook his head, "I've never encountered something like this before, Ozpin. It's like he's not even there anymore. Whatever he saw effected him so badly his mind couldn't take it and shut down."

"What does that mean, exactly?" asked Professor Goodwitch, not liking how things were sounding.

The man looked at the both of them with a serious expression, "Mr. Winchester saw something so traumatizing that his conscious mind couldn't handle the strain of it and nearly broke completely. To sum it up, he was literally one step away from being scared to death..."

There was a lapse of haunting silence in the room as everyone tried to swallow the information. Outside the infirmary, Alma could be seen watching them through the window in the door before turning and walking away. Disappearing in a flash of ashes.

 **A/N: Thanks to little brother, Cardin may no longer be an issue in the future...if at all anymore. The paranormal BS is starting to crank up and will reach a whole new level in the next chapter, because everyone is about to encounter their own little piece of Alma's hell. It's been a long time coming, and they couldn't avoid it forever...**

 **Next time, _Interval 11 - Visions._**


	12. Interval 11 - Visions

**A/N: Hello all, and welcome back to the newest addition to the RWBY/Crossover elite...well...I hope it is at least.**

 **With how things the way they ended in the last chapter, I figured it was about time for Alma to get bit more face time in the story. And team RWBY is about to get their first real taste of her paranormal power.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own FEAR or RWBY.**

Ozpin sat in his office, coffee in hand as he concentrated on the computer screen before him.

The recent events that transpired during the trip to Forever Fall had left many unknown, and disturbing questions. None of which he or anyone else had the ability to answer.

At the moment, Cardin Winchester was in the infirmary under heavy sedation. The medical personnel having to do so to avoid having him hurt himself and others, there had been talk of having him moved to the Vale's primary medical facility for further treatment.

From what was gathered, the leader of CRDL had encountered something that had nearly broken his mind. The trauma from the event effecting him so deeply that he couldn't handle it and had some kind of episode and was now suffering from severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to the point where it would be a long time before he'd be cleared to be a huntsman again.

As for his team, they would still attend classes and training, but they wouldn't be able to take on missions until they were able to work well as a three-man cell, or if a new member was added to their roster. Either way they were on the bench until a decision could be made.

It was a troubling situation, one that had never happened at Beacon before. The creatures of Grimm were terrifying, of that there was no doubt given their brutality and ferocity, but it was highly uncommon that they could envolk such a reaction from a huntsman in training.

The headmaster would keep a close eye on things as they progressed and try an ensure that it didn't happen again for the safety of other students encase this wasn't an isolated incident.

Closing the window that showed the medical notes from Cardin's last check-up, he opened up another one that he had been working on for a while now. Taking a sip from his mug, he re-read the information that he had already gone through once before.

In the months since the start of the new year, Ozpin had been doing a bit of an indepth background check on one of the students he had personally invited to his academy.

Adrian Wade had struck him as an enigma from the very moment they had met. The way the young man held himself, responded to an unknown situation, and his prowess in combat was something seen in huntsman years ahead of him. His movements fluid, precise, and very lethal.

A couple of professors in the classes he had taken had reported that Adrian was always aware of his surroundings, even when it looked like he wasn't paying attention he always knew what was happening in his direct vicinity.

And in combat class, he always knew where to strike his opponent to disable and disarm them. According to Glynda, the only one to match him in skill outside of team RWBY was Pyrrah Nikos. The Mistral champion being able to match the soldier in hand to hand and agility, the only thing setting them apart was Pyrrah's ability over magnitism and Adrian's almost supernatural reflexes.

The male member of RWBY was easily someone who has had extensive training and combat experience that could only come from someone with a military background. Which led the headmaster to looking into anything that could match his description.

However, he had been unable to find anyone matching Adrian's profile in any of the kingdoms' databases, even his name came up blank meaning that it was either recently changed, or didn't exist. The young man was a ghost...but that didn't mean that there wasn't something out there about him.

It had taken a little time, and calling a couple of contacts of his outside of Vale, but they'd managed to uncover a little something about the soldier.

Four years ago, the Atlatian military had gained a new recruit in the the form of a 13 year old boy who was faster, stronger, and more lethal than many of their more veteran operatives. In a few short months, he had achieved a high ranking and was considered a valuable asset to the kingdom's defense.

The boy had been given the codename Wraith by reputation and skill alone, since he didn't have any other form of identification. No one knew where he had come from or any of his history, only that he was experienced beyond his years...something that was common with someone else Ozpin knew.

It wasn't much, but there were a good amount of similarities between Wraith and Adrian, and the chances of them being the same person was very high. But at the same time more questions were raised instead of answers.

Who exactly was Adrian Wade? And would his abilities be what was needed to tip the balance when the time finally came...

X

Adrian yawned as they sat through Professor Port's class, the man going through the usual routine of going on and on in a long winded story about his time as a huntsman. Most of the class was in various states of falling asleep as the teacher continued to drone on and on, it was through sheer will that he was able to stay awake.

He had his training to thank for that, but even he had trouble getting through this particular class.

When the bell rang signalling the end of the period, everyone sighed in relief before making their way out. The mood going through the first year students was uneasy at best, after word had gotten around what had happened to Cardin, infact it had been team RWBY-A that had found him back at Forever Fall.

Finding CRDL's leader writhing on the ground clutching his head screaming bloody murder, at first they thought he had been having some kind of seizure, but when he looked at them, eyes filled with primal terror and pain and lunged at them in a traumatized state. Yang had been forced to knock him out so that they could transport him back to the academy.

They all had been questioned about what had happened, all of them giving accounts of what had happened including the fight with the Ursa Major from Jaune, Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrah and Adrain. But no one could explain what had happened to Cardin after they left the clearing.

No one else had been there to see what had happened...as far as anyone was aware.

Adrian had seen this before in people, and had more than a strong feeling that Paxton was involved with this somehow, but his undead brother had yet to make an appearence since the night before the trip.

Heading back to the dorm, the ex-FEAR operatve went into the bathroom to change into his casual outfit and giving the girls privacy to change.

"So, who's up for a night on the town?" asked Yang pulling her jacket on.

"Not tonight." said Blake taking out a new book she picked up from Vale a while back. "I'm going to be in the library if anyone needs me." she added before waving to the team and heading out.

The blonde shook her head at her partner before turning to Weiss, "How bout you, princess? You could use a little time to loosen up."

Rolling her eyes, the heiress picked up one of her trunks filled with dust vials and crystals and set it on the desk closest to her bed. "I'm cataloging my dust supplies when we start missions next week. Time spent better than being in some shady club."

"Priss." Yang muttered before turning to her little sister who had just finished getting changed. "What are you up to tonight, sis?"

Ruby blushed a little, "Um...well, I've already got plans, actually." she managed to say calmly causing the two older girls to look at her surprised.

"Really? Doing what?" asked Weiss, genuinely curious as to what her partner was up to.

The red-clad girl looked flustered just as the bathroom door opened and Adrian stepped out. She launched across the room, sending rose petals scattering as she grabbed his wrist before flying out the door. "AdrianandIarecatchingamoviebebacklater!" she shouted over her shoulder in one jumbled sentence as the door hung open in her wake.

Yang and Weiss watched the spectical with wide eyes. "Did...Did Ruby just admit to having a date?" the brawler asked still trying to make sense of what they had seen and heard.

"It would appear so." replied the heiress turning back to what she had been doing, "Are you planning on spying on her again?"

"The thought crossed my mind, but Adrian would probably catch me like he did the last time we tried." the blonde admitted while stretching a bit. "Besides, I doubt he'd do anything immoral to my baby sister, it's not in his nature. And even if he does all the more reason for me to get some good shots in." she said with a wide grin.

Checking the time, Yang decided to hit up the gym and save going out for the following night. Saying a quick goodbye to her sister's partner before heading out, turning down the corridor and heading in the proper direction.

At the end of the hall behind her, a familiar little girl in a red dress stood watching. Alma had been observing the ones that her eldest son surrounded himself with and found herself curious, what was it about these females that made her child trust them? Were they hoping to use him like Armacham planned to do? Like her _father_ planned to do?

The mere thought about the man brought a massive spike of rage in the pit of her being, the air around her child-form distorting, shadows bending and twisting intune with her emotions. She wouldn't allow that to happen to her child, not again, not when she had the power to ensure nothing befell him, unlike before.

Narrowing her glowing eyes, the lights in the corridor flickered before going out, Alma disappearing into the darkness as she tracked her points of interest.

X

Blake found her usual tucked away place in Beacon's library and settled down with her new book in hand. She'd been coming to this spot every so often when she wanted a little time to herself, a little nook in the far back that was quiet an allowed the most privacy.

Settling in, she cracked open her latest novel and started on the first chapter. The library was almost completely silent given that everyone else was out of the day meaning she had the entire place to herself. Perfect.

Flipping to another page, her ember eyes looked up when the desk lamp beside her started flickering. Tapping the edge of it, the bulb went solid again before she returned to her book, minutes ticking by as she immersed her self in the story.

As she read, Blake's hidden cat-ears twitched beneath her bow when she picked up something. It was very low to the point a normal person wouldn't have been able to hear it, but to a faunus it was a different story.

Looking up from the book, her eyes scanned around the large room while her bow continued to twitch. It sounded...like music, which was very unusual.

Marking her page and setting the material aside, Blake stood up and followed the sounds to the other side of the library, her sharp hearing guiding her as she moved along the large shelves full of books. Coming out the other side, she found a lone desk with a lamp shining light down on the surface where an old, cherry-oak music box sat, the insides slowly rotating in tune with the music.

"Where did this come from?" she wondered outloud as she looked at the antique while it continued playing, the melody was almost peaceful...but at the same time a bit haunting in the quiet library.

Blake looked at the open lid of the box, finding a black and white photograph that showed a leaf-less tree on a hilltop with a swing hanging from the highest branch. Very curious, she reached for the music box just as the crank stop turning, the tune coming to an end and plunging the room back into silence.

A little creeped out by the strange turn of events, the raven-haired girl gently closed the music box, trying to make sense of things before shaking her head and turning away-

-Stopping dead in her tracks when she saw an eight year old girl standing a couple meters away. A curtain of long black hair covering her face wearing a long red dress that just barely went past her knees.

The sight of the child shocked her, but not nearly as much as her instincts had which were now suddenly now on high alert. The hair on the back of her neck standing on end and a feeling of immediate danger settling in her stomach that got worse the longer she looked at the girl.

Neither of them said a word, the child turned to her immediate right and went behind a bookshelf. The movement being enough to snap Blake out of her stupor, "Hay, wait!" she called out following her. Despite what her instincts were telling her, having a young girl wandering around Beacon wasn't good, especially if they were lost.

Going around the bookshelf, she caught a glimpse of the girl turning out of the isle at the other end and moved a little faster. When she came out into the center part of the library...she was gone.

Blinking, Blake looked everywhich direction for any sign of the girl, straining her senses to pick up any indication that she was close and coming up empty.

Sighing when she couldn't pick up anything, the young faunus looked down and felt her breath freeze in her chest.

On the clean, polished marble floors, was a line of bloody footprints leading toward the front of the library. Small ones...like a child would leave behind.

Panic set in almost instantly, the girl was hurt! Bleeding! She needed help! It was the only thing piercing through Blake's thoughts as she ran in the direction the footprints were going, her frantic footfalls echoing through the large room as she passed the empty front desk and to the doors where the trail came to an end.

Shoving them opening only to be blinded by a blast of white light.

Blake covered her eyes and yelped from the sudden brightness before it managed to die down enough for her to see again. Blinking her eyes open, she gasped when she saw where she was.

Instead of the long corridor of the academy she had walked down many times already, the faunus found herself outside. Standing in a field of tall grass that reached above her knees that led all the way to a small hill with a dead tree sitting on the top of it.

Looking over her shoulder toward the door she had passed through, she found that it was gone and nothing but the large field stretching in every direction. Confusion didn't quite explain what was going through Blake's head at that moment.

Nothing made sense, and part of her believed that she was having some kind of weird dream.

Her ears perked up again when she heard humming coming from the direction of the tree, the same melody that the music box had been playing back in the library. then she saw the girl, sitting in a swing that hung from the highest branch as it slowly went back and forth.

With nowhere else to go, Blake swallowed dryly as she started making her way forward, heading up the the small hillside toward the top where the child went about her business. The closer she got, the more her instincts screamed at her that something wasn't right.

"Hello? Little girl?" she asked hesitantly, the child continued to hum the melody to herself and swung from the branch. The raven-haired teen reached out to her and was about to speak again when the girl stopped swinging and humming at the same time, now sitting motionless and silent on the swing causing Blake to pause as well.

Slowly, the child turned her head and looked over her right shoulder at the faunus. A lone, glowing-orange eye locking with her shocked and slightly afraid ember ones.

 _ **"They tried to bury their sins..."**_ a woman's voice echoed all around them. _**"But instead, planted the seeds of their doom..."**_ Several tense moments passing between them before the girl vanished in a burst of ashes.

Blake blinked when the the child disappeared, looking around for any sign of her and found nothing. Her bow twitched when she heard something moving behind her and turned around-

-A human-like skeleton lunged at her, gnarled fingers digging into her upper arms while a face framed with stringy black hair and black, soulless eyes got right into hers. The young huntress tried to scream, but terror froze her vocal cords as the horrifying creature shrieked loud enough to shake her very soul.

X

Blake's eyes sprang open and she leapt back from the desk, sending her forgotten book and her chair clattering loudly to the floor, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and sweat dripping from her brow as she snapped her head in everywhich direction in full panic mode.

After a few minutes, she'd been able to calm herself just enough to start thinking clearly again. Taking deep, clensing breaths while telling herself that it had only been a dream and that she was fine.

She'd had many nightmares, thanks to her past, but this one had been the worst yet. Never in her life had she felt so terrified, like a child that had been afraid of the dark, only much worse. The images still very fresh and leaving her shaking as she tried to get her aching head back into order.

Taking a little more time to collect herself and push the dream as far to the back of her mind as she could, Blake bent down and picked up her book and dusted it off before checking the time.

It was getting late, and she hadn't eaten anything since lunch. So she decided to head to the cafeteria and grab something quick before making her way back to the dorm. Gathering her things, the young huntress headed for the exit.

Back at the desk, Alma stood watching the hidden faunus as she departed before disappearing.

X

In team RWBY-A's dorm room, Weiss was still going through her collection of dust. Cataloging every vial and crystal depening on element, level of usuage, and in what situation they would be the most helpful.

Given her status and knowledge of her family's company, she was able to compile detailed lists of information about each kind of dust that was refined like it was second nature. Because of this, she'd been given the title of 'dust expert' on their team and it was one she was very prideful to have.

Yawning into her hand, the heiress finished jotting down one last thing in her notebook before setting her pen aside and stood up to stretch after having been sitting in the same spot for so long.

She then started to the task of organizing and putting away her supply of dust, halfway through however, the lights above started to flicker causing her to pause and look up. Raising a delicate eyebrow as the bulbs went solid again.

"Might need to invest in better light bulbs." she said outloud as she went back to what she was doing. Weiss had finished putting things away when she heard something in the silent dorm room.

It was muffled, but it sounded like music being played from somewhere closeby.

Curious, the heiress moved around the room trying to find the source and discovered it was loudest when she stood at the door leading out into the hallway. Thinking that it must be coming from one of the other dorms, she decided to ignore it and instead get ready to take a shower...that was until she heard the sound of crying accompany the low melody.

Looking back to the door, Weiss curiousity spiked to new heights and found herself reaching for the knob and pulling it open. The music became a little louder, along with the low sobbing. Peeking her head out into the dark corridor, she looked in both directions and found the source at the far end on the left side.

In the middle of the hallway, beneath a window with the light of the shattered moon outside shining through, was a little girl sitting on the carpeted floor. Her legs hugged to her chest with her black hair spilling over while a old music box played its notes from the spot infront of her.

The heiress' eyes widened in shock. What was a child doing in Beacon?! Worse of all, why was she alone this late at night?!

Leaving the dorm room, Weiss walked down the long corridor with the intention of helping in whatever way that she could. As a huntress in training, it was her job to make sure the innocent was safe when they needed help, and this child definitely needed help.

As she drew closer, the song from the music box filled her ears, almost blocking out the girl's crying. "Excuse me? Do you need help?" she asked just loud enough to be heard without startling the child.

The girl made no indication that she had been heard. The heiress steeled her self and kept moving forward until she reached her, kneeling down beside the child. "Are you lost? Where did you come from?" she tried again, sounding as gentle as she could.

Almost at the same time, both the music box and the girl became silent, filling the corridor with an almost deafening silence. The child slowly rose her head and Weiss stumbled back a little when a pair of glowing-orange eyes locked with her startled blue ones.

A bright flash of light blinded the heiress for a moment of time, when it died down she opened her eyes again and found herself in a different hallway than the one she had been in.

The walls were steel grey along with the floors, long flourescent lights buzzing overhead giving off a cold, unfeeling atmosphere.

Standing up slowly, Weiss looked around confused and reeling as she tried to make sense of the sudden turn of events. "Where am I?" she asked turning around and finding a set of double doors blocked off by a hospital gurney.

After collecting her thoughts for a minute or two and moving the obstruction, she discovered that the doors were locked and wouldn't budge an inch. Sighing in frusteration, she turned and faced the other direction where she could see another set of double doors at the far end with light spilling in through the windows.

The heiress started making her way toward them, her footsteps echoing off the walls around her filling the silence. However, by the fifth one she felt the air around her become heavier, her strides longer and slower at the same time giving the illusion that she was trudging through water.

 _"You can't take him!"_

Weiss's eyes widened and her heartrate spiked when she heard a woman scream out from beyond the doors she was approaching.

 _"Give him back! Don't do this!"_

Each step became slower and slower, no matter how hard she tried to make herself go faster, the heaviness of the air itself weighing her down. Halfway down the hallway now, the lights above her started flickering wildly before going out completely, plunging the heiress in complete darkness except for the light from the doors ahead.

Her heart beating hard against her ribcage, Weiss kept trying to move but now found herself frozen in place. Fear gripping her being as she racked her brain for some kind of solution to this problem.

The doors at the end of the corridor suddenly burst open, light spilling into the corridor and bathing everything in it an forcing the huntress in training to squint her eyes since she couldn't move her hands. And standing at the mouth of the threshold, was the same little girl she had found earlier. Her glowing eyes leering back at her as the white light behind her changed into a sinister orange, the shadows along the walls coming to life and forming into long, black tentacles that whipped through the air like angry serpents.

 _"GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!"_ the woman screamed as the shadow-tentacles lashed out and ensnared the heiress, dragging her frozen form forward. Unable to struggle or scream as she was pulled closer and closer to the opening where the girl was silently waiting for her.

Right as she reached the threshold, the child changed. Instead of a little girl, a full grown woman, naked as the day she was born with long black hair covering her breasts, stood before her. Eyes still glowing the same hellish color as she looked into Weiss's now completely terrified gaze.

 _ **"They took them from me..."**_ the now woman spoke without moving her lips. _**"I will take everything from them..."**_

She vanished in a burst of ashes before the tentacles threw the heiress into the doorway.

X

Weiss screamed as she snapped awake, looking around with wild, terrified eyes before realizing that she was sitting at her desk where she had apparently fallen asleep.

When the rational side of her mind finally caught up, she took several ragged breaths. Rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands, her throat raw from screaming as she stood up slowly and went to the bathroom to get a quick drink of cool water.

Finishing two full glasses and feeling better, the heiress looked at herself in the mirror, hands on the sink as she calmed her still frantic heart and mind. It had been a long time since she had any sort of nightmare, but it wasn't uncommon to have them given the line of work they were training for.

But this? This didn't feel like a regular bad dream, and definitely not one she had ever had in her life.

What brought this on? And why did she have it? Was she studying too hard and her subconscious ran wild for some strange reason? None of it seemed to fit or make sense.

While she contemplated this, she failed to notice the Alma watching her from the dorm room before walking to the front door and fading into the shadows.

X

The sound of a heavy bag being struck repeatedly reverberated through Beacon's main gym, the firey blonde that was the cause standing infront of the training instrument with her fists up as she struck the surface with strong, precise hits.

Yang always found hitting the human-sized bag of sand very theraputic in several situations, mostly when she was feeling stressed or upset about something. But every once in a while she would take the time to let the stress out of her muscles while building up her upper body a bit more.

It was no secret that she was a bombshell in the looks department, she'd had more than enough offers for dates back at Signal and a good number already since she started a Beacon. Her looks and body were both something she was proud off, and wasn't ashamed to show off from time to time, though that didn't make her any less of a fighter. And she was one hell of a powerhouse when she wanted to be.

Beauty and strength rolled into one, marking Yang as both sought after and feared by her peers. Which also allowed her the ability to chase off any unworthy suitors that tried to gain her little sister's affections.

Yang was fiercely protective of Ruby, ever since their mom died she had taken it upon herself to be there for the younger girl in any way that she needed. Which made it hard for her when she watched the girl grow up and start to become a young woman.

That was one of the reasons why she tried to distance herself from Ruby when they got to Beacon, she wanted her baby sister to grow into her own and branch off more to become her own person. And it appeared to have worked...in ways she wasn't expecting.

Delivering one more good hit, the buxom brawler wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead and grabbed her short-jacket from where she set it on a nearby benchpress before heading over to get some water from the fountain in the 'resting area' of the gym. She'd been very proud of Ruby, getting into Beacon a year early, becoming leader of their team, and already taking large steps to become the huntress she always wanted to be.

But more often then not, no matter how far along her little sister's come, Yang would always be there for her. Which was why she hoped that whatever happened between her and Adrian turned out okay, the last thing she wanted to do was help heal her sister's broken heart...then have to smash their male-team mate's face in.

Quenching her thirst, the brawler did a few light stretches to work out a few small knots in her muscles when she noticed a slight chill in the air. The gym was kept at a steady 62 degrees at all times, but what she was feeling was easily several degrees below that making her shiver a little.

"Someone must have messed with the damn thermostat again." she said to herself as she put her jacket back on. Pulling out her scroll to check the time, she narrowed her eyes when the screen flickered with static for a moment before setting itself right again.

Shrugging it off, Yang turned and started making her way out of the gym when the lights suddenly went out. The blonde barely had a chance to register the sudden change before she accidentally banged her leg against a lifting machine. "Fuck!" she cursed loudly, rubbing her now sore leg as she fished around in her pocket and took out her scroll again.

Flipping the device open, she used the light to cut through the blackness and allow her to see. As far as she knew the academy never had an issue with power outages before, so what caused the lights to go out?

Scroll guiding her, Yang started making her way to the exit again. Carefully stepping around the training equipment as to not bump into anything again. She was about halfway across the room when a strange tune started to play from somewhere in the darkness closeby.

The brawler jumped a little at the noise and spun around, shining the light in different directions to locate the source. Finding it a moment later in the form of an old music box sitting on a rack of dumbells, the metal disk within and the crank on the side slowly turning in time with the music that was playing, the strange melody making the overall atmosphere more than a bit haunting.

Yang approached the music box hesitantly, wondering how it suddenly just appeared when she knew for a fact that it hadn't been there when she arrived earlier.

Then something clicked in her mind and she smirked, "I get it, very funny." she said shaking her head. "Lights going out, freaky music, clever." the blond looked around her and spoke louder, "Alright, who's trying to punk me?"

Her answer was silence, save for the tune from the box.

"Seriously, it was a nice attempt, but you're gonna have to try a lot harder." Yang tried again with the same results. The music box stopped playing, at the same time her scroll flickered and died plunging her into complete blackness.

"Come on, this thing can't be dead I just charged it!" the blonde groaned, shaking the device in her hand and trying the power button and getting nothing at all. Sighing, she activated her aura causing her golden mane of hair to light up like flames, bathing the room in a yellow glow.

Her lilac colored eyes blinked owlishly when she was met with the sight of a little girl standing infront of her, a curtain of black hair covering her face making it hard to make out what she looked like. "Uh...hi." Yang said a little put off by the sudden appearence. "Where did you come from?" she asked kneeing down to the girl's height.

The child said not a word, instead turned around and walked toward the exit. "Hay, wait up!" the brawler called out following after her when she reached the door and slipping through.

Grabbing the handle before the door closed completely, Yang pulled it open and was struck with a huge blast of light that blinded her instantly. Shielding her face with her hands until it died down, lowing them to find herself speechless and in shock.

She was no longer in Beacon but instead in the middle of a war torn street of some city she had never seen before. The pavement below her feet had been ripped up in large chunks, the buildings on either side of the road were crumbling to their foundations, and ashes flitted through the air like dark snow.

The sky was blood red, casting an ominous and sinister glow on the ground below while fires burned out of control from various car wrecks scattered all over.

"W-What the hell?!" Yang exclaimed as she looked in every direction, trying to figure out what happened and how she had gotten here. Looking back at the door she came through, she instead found the open door of a shop that had collapsed in on itself. Lost, confused and on edge, the brawler activated Ember Celica as she took a couple slow steps forward.

Then she saw her again, the little girl, standing at the end of the street beside an overturned car. She looked at Yang before turning around and walking around the corner. "WAIT! COME BACK!" the huntress in training shouted before she started running down the street in pursuit, jumping over and going around anything that was in her way.

Rounding the corner, she skidded to a stop and nearly felt her heart stop. The street ahead of her was just as bad as the first, only this one had people in it...or...what used to be people.

They were like blackened statues, standing motionless in various positions that looked as though they were trying to run from something. Others looked to be trying to help one another and were forever frozen in that state.

Approaching one that looked like a woman who was protecting her child. Cracks appearing on the surface, a piece or two falling off before the whole thing collapsed into a pile of ashes on the ground.

Heart beating harder in her chest, Yand whipped around and looked for any sign of life, lilac eyes finding the girl she had been searching for going through a crumbling archway at the end of the street. She took off in a dead run after her, doing her best to avoid the statues of ash and not disturb them as she reached the same archway.

Inside, was a rundown playground. The equipment dented, covered in rust and blackened from whatever horror befell this place. The light, metallic creaking from the swings and a few other things filling the void as the blonde treaded ahead slowly, shotgun-gauntlets at the ready encase something nasty came out of hiding while she continued to search for the child.

Pushing the horrible things she had seen as far from her mind as possible to focus on her current task, she felt a small gust of wind and the hair on the back of her neck stood up, freezing in mid-step.

Turning around slowly, she found the little girl standing on the edge of the handrail carousel in the center of the playground. Head down with her hair covering her eyes while she stood at the edge of the platform as it slowly rotated.

Relaxing her stance a bit, Yang slowly approached the child with her hands raised in a non-threatening way. "Don't run again, okay? I...I don't know what's going on, but this place looks really dangerous." she reached the carousel stopping it from spinning when she put a hand on a rail while crouching down to the girl's height again.

"We need to get somewhere safe, who knows what could be-"

The girl raised her head and the brawler was met with a pair of glowing-orange eyes, frozen in place and unable to move as their gazes locked. And in that moment, Yang Xiao Long felt true fear.

This wasn't a normal little girl, her eyes had darkness and hate in them despite her emotionless expression. The huntress in training felt her heart speed up the longer they looked at one another, the rest of the world seeming to bleed away as she heard a womans voice speak from somewhere close.

 _ **"They have to die...all of them have to die..."**_

Without warning the girl lunged at her like a wild animal.

X

Yang jolted upward, leaping to her feet and ready to fight when she realized that she was back in the gym. Somehow, she'd fallen asleep on the floor next to the heavy bag. "W-What?" she asked herself confused while holding her head. "When the hell did I fall asleep?"

Glancing around again, she tried to make a little sense of what happened, along with the messed up dream she had just had. It had been beyond the norm, even for her, and there was no real explination as to why she even had it.

Running a hand through her hair several times while she calmed herself down, she checked the time and saw how late it was getting and decided to head back to the dorm. Grabbing her jacket before leaving the gym with the intention of putting the weirdness behind her for the time being.

X

Behind her, Alma stood in he spot where she had woken up. Watching the blonde leave after getting what she needed from her mind like she had with the others.

Each of them had a past they were hoping to escape from, a darkness that they hope to hide from the rest of the world that she now knew thanks to her trip into their sunconsciousness'.

She was still confused as to their intentions, none of them were hoping to use her eldest in any way, meaning she didn't have to kill them. However, she had seen from them that the fourth girl, the one in the red cloak, was far closer to him compared to the others.

Closing her eyes, the powerful psionic sent out a pulse to find her next target. The blonde shared genetics with her which made it easier for her to track where she was.

It took only a moment or two, Alma's eyes snapped open when she found the girl. Her telesthetic signiture was within close proximity to her son's, they were together in the city. Face still expressionless, the psionic flared her aura causing the lights around the room to flicker wildly as she vanished in a burst of red energy.

 **A/N: After Alma's made herself known to the others, she's now set her sights on Ruby. And it's all a matter of time before she catches the young leader and brings her into her world like she did with her team. And with Alma Wade, there's no such thing as a 'normal' encounter.**

 **If you're wondering the tune played by the music box, look up 'FEAR 2: Alma's Music Box' on Youtube and you'll be able to hear it for yourself. And trust me, it's one creepy melody that fit this chapter well.**


	13. Interval 12 - Beyond Two Souls

**A/N: It's been a very long time coming, but since I've been updating all the stories I started a ways back, I figured it was time to continue with one that I had let fall to the back of the pack for far too long.**

 **Since The Rogue is still the only harbinger fic in this crossover category, it's about time I keep it going for the sake of those that have taken great interest in it. So I will not leave any of you waiting any longer.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Stepping out of the movie theater in the center of Vale, Adrian took a deep breath of the cool night air while rolling his shoulders and cracking his back after having been sitting down for two hours straight. Ruby right beside him doing the same with a half-empty container of popcorn in hand.

"What'd you think, pretty cool movie huh?" she asked still munching on the snack.

[It was alright.] the soldier signed in response, the movie really wasn't that bad, even though he didn't have much to compare it to and the supposed 'scary moments' had no effect on him.

After the amount of horror he bore witness to in the past, false bloodshed and terror on a movie screen couldn't hold a candle to it.

Ruby however, ended up jumping multiple times, most of which involved either grabbing onto his arm as though it were a lifeline or landing in his lap and burrowing her face in his neck.

At first it had felt awkward having her that close to him, having never had someone be that physically close to him before. But after a while it started to feel nice, her arms around him or her hand clenched tightly in his, it filled him with a calming warmth that only the red clad girl had been able to instill in him recently.

Checking the time, the duo saw that it was still relatively early in the evening. The sun having set hours ago and the shattered moon rising in its place. "So, it's still pretty early. " Ruby commented, finishing off the popcorn and tossing the bucket in a nearby garbage can, "Feel up for doing something else?"

Adrian looked at her curious, [What did you have in mind?] he asked wondering what was on her mind.

The cloaked girl fidgeted with her skirt for a moment, "Well, we could go for a walk. Enjoy the nice night and all that." she offered, mentally berating herself for sounding so boring. Honestly, she didn't think much beyond the movie for this evening's plans, but she really didn't want their time together to come to an end so soon.

Sending a small smile her way, the ex-FEAR operative started signing back. [Sounds good.] He had to admit that he didn't want their time cut short either. The answer being enough to ease Ruby's troubled mind about the situation, the two of them starting down the sidewalk. The lights from the surrounding buildings and street lamps lighting the way as they walked side by side.

Both of them were silent for the first few minutes, the sights and sounds around them filling it for the most part before Ruby turned to her companion, "I was a little surprised that you agreed to come out with me tonight. I mean, I was hoping that you'd say yes, after all the fun we had last time." a blush started to form on her face when her words started to get away from her again.

[I was more than happy to, and it was fun spending time with you last time, Ruby.] Adrian signed, [I was actually looking forward to getting off campus again.]

The blush Ruby was sporting grew brighter, her heart stuttering in her chest. "R-Really?" she asked getting a nod in return causing warmth to flow through her like a soft breeze and settle in her stomach. The fact that he'd been happy to come out with her and spend time outside of the academy again made her feel happy beyond all reason.

Ever since the first time they came into the city the feeling of happiness grew stronger and stronger the more they hung around each other. It hadn't been hard to figure out that Ruby had developed a full blown crush on Adrian, which had reached a point where she wanted nothing more than to full out tell him and hope that they could try dating.

However, her inexperience was holding her back. She still recalled her discussion with Yang when they first started hanging out, and she did want their time spent together to mean more, but she had no way of knowing if the soldier felt the same way.

She remembered vividly when they were in the movie theater when she jumped during a scary scene and latched onto him in someway. At first she felt him tense up and she thought she might have taken a step over the line, but a moment later she felt him wrap his arms around her or hold her hand in return. The feeling of safety that came with the contact was not lost on Ruby, and she had found herself unconsciously cuddling more into him while she had the chance.

The red clad girl let out a yelp when she was suddenly pulled to the left, blinking when she realized that she had been so far into her thoughts that she almost walked straight into a lamp post had she not been yanked out of the path of it.

Breathing out in relief, her silver eyes looked up and locked with steel grey. "T-Thanks." she mumbled feeling embarrised.

[Lost in thought again?] Adrian asked with his hands, wondering what had occupied her thoughts enough to almost walk into something face-first.

Ruby blushed and bit her lip before shaking her head, "It's...It's nothing." she gave him a smile before they started moving again. The ex-FEAR operative didn't believe her, but far be it from him to make her talk about something she wasn't ready to.

They continued to walk around, occasionally picking a small topic of interest to talk about back and forth. After a while they entered a small park and sat down on a bench, looking up at the night sky above.

"The view from Patch is a lot better." Ruby said as she looked up at the broken moon. "Without all the lights, you can see the stars too. It's beautiful."

Adrian looked at her before looking at the sky again. He'd never taken the time to do something like this, but it was oddly relaxing nonetheless. [What's your home like?] he asked after tapping the leader on the shoulder.

"Patch is a small island just off the coast of Vale. We're mostly a rural community with a couple small settlements, no real big cities, and everyone's pretty close." the cloaked girl explained, smiling as she talked about where she grew up. "Signal academy is set up in the very center of the island, dad and uncle Qrow work there as instructors. Dad trained Yang while Uncle Qrow trained me."

The soldier nodded, [You and your sister are pretty close.]

Her smile grew, "We are. She's always been there for me when I needed her growing up, most people didn't even believe that we were related because we look so different from one another."

[I was curious about that myself, but I didn't want to offend you or Yang if I asked.] Adrian replied.

Ruby shrugged, "We're half-sisters. Yang was a year old when dad met mom. Dad really doesn't talk much about Yang's mom, but she's been trying to look for her ever since she found out about her years ago." her expression turned troubled and the ex-FEAR operative picked up on it immediately.

[You okay?]

"Y-Yeah...it's just..." the leader sighed as she collected her thoughts, "A few years ago...Yang's goal to find her mother went a little far. She found an old picture back from when our dad was younger, apparently her mom, dad, my mom and Uncle Qrow were all on the same team together at Beacon. She thought that the place where the picture had been taken would have clues to where she could be."

"I was only a toddler at the time, and Yang was determined, so she waited for dad to leave for the day before loading me up in a wagon and heading out into the forest." Ruby's eyes glazed over as she dipped further into the memory, "We traveled for hours, I don't remember much since I slept off and on throughout the trip. But Yang kept pushing on even while exhausted until we got there. The place was rundown and abandoned...and we would have been killed by a pack of Grimm that had been living in the area had Uncle Qrow not been there in time."

Blinking, the cloaked girl came back to the present as she looked at Adrian, "Yang's been full of guilt ever since, always blaming herself for putting us in that position, it's one of the other reasons why she's so protective of me."

The soldier was beside himself after hearing the story, not knowing how to really respond to it. Wracking his brain for a moment or two before signing, [Do you resent her for it?]

"No." Ruby replied shaking her head, "She made a mistake, and even though we were in danger we still came out of it okay. I still love Yang with everything I am, she's my sister and that'll never change no matter what. Nothing's more important than family." she said with a beaming smile.

Family and love...two foreign words that Adrian never once fully understood. And every time he thought of either the only feelings that came to him was confusion, anger and fear.

He'd never felt love in his life, from any source. And his only definition of family was corrupted by rage, bloodshed, chaos and destruction. It was hard to truly and fully understand something when you've never experienced it before.

"Adrian?" the ex-FEAR operative jerked when his name was being called, snapping his focus back to Ruby who was looking at him concerned. "I tried talking to you, but you were out of it. Everything okay?"

Adrian nodded, running a hand through his black hair while leaning back against the bench. [Sorry. I just don't really understand the meaning of family all that well, other than what I've seen between you and your sister.]

The admission shocked Ruby, "What? You don't understand...You don't understand the meaning of _family_?" she asked trying to fully comprehend. "But, you told me you have a mother and brother."

[I met them barely a few months before I joined Beacon, and it wasn't under the best of circumstances.] he signed.

"It couldn't have been that bad." the cloaked girl offered, trying to figure out how things could have been bad enough to the point a family was estranged.

The soldier held his tongue, wondering if he could tell her about his past, if he _should_ tell her about his past. Turning to look at her imploring eyes, two pools of silver that shined brighter than the moon above them, he felt the same pull he'd been feeling in his chest since their first meeting again.

 _"I'm not going to force anything out of you about it, that's not who I am and I trust you, but if you need someone to talk...well...sign to, then I'll always listen."_

Her words rang through his thoughts from the last time they had a talk like this, reminding him of her promise that she would be there for him no matter what.

 _ **"Do you think she will still care about you when she discovers the truth?"**_

Adrian clenched his fists when one of his brother's last statements also made itself known. And as much as he didn't want to let it get to him, a part of his mind, the part that had been betrayed and lied to most of his existence, believed Paxton.

However, the other part of his mind knew that he could trust Ruby. And after all the time they'd had together she had proven time and again that there was no reason to not have faith in her. But with something like this...

[It's not as simple as you think...] he signed, taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts before coming to a decision.

Leaning forward, elbows on his knees as he took a deep breath, he decided to go on faith in the girl he had come to know. [I killed my brother, and my mother has tried to kill me more times than I could count.]

The signed statement had frozen Ruby in her place, mouth open and face paling. "W-What?" she managed to squeak out, waiting for more of an explanation and dreading it at the same time.

Turning to the girl sitting beside him, Adrian looked into her eyes with the most serious expression she had ever seen since she had known him. [Ruby, what I'm going to tell you is something that can't be repeated to anyone. Not to our team, the teachers, or even your sister. Do you understand?]

Ruby swallowed thickly and nodded without saying a word. The soldier looked out into the distance before he started signing.

[I can't remember my past, Ruby. My earliest memory was joining the Atlas military at 13, I was...different than most people. Faster, stronger, some called me the ultimate soldier, others called me a freak of nature. My comrades gave me the codename Wraith because of my skills and kill count, I even surpassed Atlatian soldiers who have been in service for decades. It was these skills that allowed me entry to an elite soldier unit known as FEAR.]

From that point onward, Adrian explained everything that happened to him during the mission to Fairport and Auburn. Starting with the uprising of the Replica army being led by the psionic mastermind Paxton Fettel against Armacham.

Ruby hung onto every word, as the soldier spoke about how the difficult mission took a rather dark and supernatural turn. And as time went on the mission became even more dangerous as his comrades died one after the other, and how Armacham had a hand in all of it from the very beginning and attempted to cover it all up.

The more the tale went on, the more shocking it became as Adrian uncovered things about his past and himself that he never knew before. All of it leading to an underground facility run by the corportation where the source of strange, paranormal events were coming from.

It had also been through these strange events that he realized that the man he had been hunting, the man behind all of the death and destruction, was actually his own brother.

And even after figuring out who he was...still put a bullet between his eyes to put an end to the madness.

But the story didn't end there, the soldier took a bit of time to talk about who his mother was from the information he had been able to uncover, and what she had become on top of how he was 'born' into the classified program called Project Origin.

Ruby had covered her mouth with tears in her eyes as she heard the heartwrenching details about how a young woman no older than herself with powers beyond comprehension was forced into a coma, impregnated, forced to give birth then put back to sleep again, twice, without even holding her children by the man that was supposed to be her father.

The same man that released her from her tomb where she had died...before being torn to bloody shreds in the woman's psionic rampage.

From there, Adrian spoke about the destruction of the Project Origin facility, and by extention a large portion of Fairport, while he and the surviving members of his team attempted to evac.

Which in turn lead to their transport crashing back into the city and the continued fight against the reactivated Replicas being controlled by his partially resurrected brother. Managing to escape even with the loss of his remaining comrades before being captured by Armacham as a means to control him. And by extension the nearly unstoppable force that had been unleashed in the form of his mother .

[I managed to escape, thanks to Paxton showing up and giving me an opening. Though his reasons for doing so were lost to me at the time given our last encounter.] Adrian continued signing as his tale came to a close.

[I've been on the run ever since, going from place to place staying one step ahead of Armacham. I had arrived in Vale when the night at the dust shop happened, then a week later Ozpin came to me with the offer to join the academy.] he looked up at the moon again, keeping his eyes away from the girl beside him not wanting to see the horror and disgust in them at what he revealed to her.

He couldn't believe that he had revealed so much to someone he had known only for so long, but deep within his being he knew that it was unavoidable. And he would deal with the backlash from it as it came.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was a pair of arms wrapping tightly around his chest and a tear streaked face burrowing into his collar.

"I...I can't even imagine what you've been through..." she said into his shirt before looking up at the soldier's face. "It's no wonder you don't trust so easily...and what happened to you and your family...what you were forced to do even after you found out the truth..."

[It was my mission.] Adrian signed with an empty look in his eyes. [Paxton was ruthless, slaughtering innocent lives that had nothing to do with what happened. He _ate_ people in belief that it would make his aura stronger. He also had a stronger telepathic connection to our mother than I did...which would explain his bloodthirst when he went on his rampage.]

He looked at Ruby, [He had to be stopped. I did what I had to do to make sure no more lives were lost...but in the end it changed nothing. Both he and our mother are out there beyond the ability to kill conventionally.]

The cloaked girl bit her lip, "All of this..." her eyes met his again as she tried to find the words to convey her thoughts. "Why tell me all of this?"

Adrian sat motionless for a full minute before giving his answer, [Because after all this time, after everything I've learned about my shattered past and the secrets that were being kept from me, you are the first person to see me as more than just a soldier. More than just a weapon. I feel like I can trust you with what I am, that is why I told you.]

The honesty in his signed words was hard to miss. For someone as guarded as Adrian was, to let anyone through his walls was difficult since for as long as he could remember he had no one. A fact that was not lost on Ruby as a watery smile spread across her face.

Reaching out, both of her hands held one of his larger ones causing him to raise his head and look at her curiously. "Thank you, for trusting me like this. I can't imagine how hard it was for you to keep it all locked inside."

One of her pale hands reached up and touched the side of his face, "You're not a monster or a weapon. You're a person like everyone else, and like everyone else you deserve to be around people who understand you that won't judge. No matter what your past was."

The ex-FEAR operative gave a ghost of a smile as he gently gripped the fingers of the hand still holding his, feeling weight slowly lift from his shoulders, knowing that he had someone that understood. That wasn't afraid of the things he'd done and saw only the person he was underneath.

For just a moment, he felt genuinely happy for the first time in his existence.

X

Several meters away, the child-form of Alma stepped out from behind a tree. Glowing eyes narrowing as she watched the interaction between the red-cloaked girl and her first child. Unable to hear his thoughts, but could pick up the emotions emitting from him.

Happiness, peace...and a third emotion that she herself just couldn't place.

Looking toward the girl he was with, Alma could feel the same emotions coming from her only much stronger. Who was this child? And how could she involk such reactions from her eldest son? She needed to know, but would have to bide her time for now.

With only a thought, the powerful psionic vanished in a burst of ashes leaving the two teens unaware of her presence.

X

A couple hours later, Adrian and Ruby returned to the academy. The soldier still feeling lighter than he had before after their long talk as they made their way to their team's dorm.

Ruby had promised not to tell a soul about his past, of which he had been very thankful for. Even though he felt open enough to let her know the truth he wasn't prepared to let the others in just yet. He still needed a bit more time, but intended on including them in when the time was right.

Heading down the corridor into the residental wing of the campus, they both stopped outside of the dorm before turning to each other. "Thanks again for coming out with me, it was a lot of fun." the red-cloaked girl said, shuffling nervously while maintaining a small smile.

[It was fun for me too.] Adrian signed back, [Thank you for listening. It's good to know I have someone to confide in after all this time.]

"No problem."

Both of them stood there, a bit of ackwardness in the air as they tried to figure out what to do next. "Well..." Ruby said finally while taking a deep breath, "We better head in. Team training tomorrow and all that..." She turned to head in when a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

[Ruby, we have the week off from training tomorrow, remember?] the ex-FEAR operative signed, confused at her now flustered state. [What's the matter?]

"N-Nothing. It's just...well...I..." the red cloaked girl took a deep breath to steady her nerves before she turned to face him fully. She couldn't back out now, and there was no telling if she would get another chance to tell him this again.

"I'm...really not good with this. But...I really, _really_ like you, Adrian." the color in her cheeks darkened with each word, but she managed to press onward. "You make me feel happy, and safe, and I've never felt this way around anyone... I'm just really scared that you don't see things the same way, and you won't want to be friends anymore...and that would suck...and...and..."

Ruby stopped in her rambling when a pair of hands fell on her shoulders, her silver eyes looking up at the grey ones slightly above her. Adrian felt the pull in his chest grow in intensity with every passing second, no longer able to hold it back as he suddenly felt himself move downward.

His lips connected with hers instantly.

An explosion of warmth flooded through both of them through the contact, filling their very beings.

Shocked at first, Ruby's eyes drifted closed, her arms going around Adrian's neck while she pushed herself into his body. The super-soldier's own arms falling and wrapping snug around her tiny waist, pulling her flush against him with no intention of letting go as they both lost themselves to the sensations that had been unleashed.

Unknown to both, Ruby's red aura gently flared to life, along with Adrian's dark-grey aura. The manifestations of their souls flowing around them like flames for a moment before reaching out and caressing against one another.

The auras then reached out and flowed through one another, intertwining to the point of nearly becoming one while the couple remained intimately embraced. Seconds ticking by before they slowly slipped back from one another and flowed back into their hosts just before the duo separated themselves.

Ruby's eyes seemed the shine far brighter than they ever had before, both of them half-lidded as she looked up at Adrian with a heartwarming smile. Feeling so warm and complete standing there in his arms, not wanting to ever let go.

Adrian was stunned, his heart feeling as though it was going to burst at the sudden rush of emotions that flooded through him. Emotions that he had never felt before, nearly becoming overwhelming, but the strongest of all the feelings going through him is the sense of completeness...like a large piece of himself that he didn't know was missing had now fallen into place.

All of which coming back to the beautiful young woman he held in his arms.

"...Amazing..." Ruby spoke in a dazed, almost dreamy state. Leaning forward, she placed her head against the ex-FEAR operative's chest, arms still firmly around his neck while smiling in bliss. "This...This is where I belong..." she said again while snuggling in as close as possible.

Holding her just as firmly, Adrian leaned down and rested the side of his face into her short, black-red tipped hair. Breathing in the smell of roses that constantly surrounded her that brought peace to his chaotic soul.

Her words ringing true as he felt that there was no where else on this planet he'd rather be than right here. A geniune smile spreading on his face as they simply stood there in comfortable silence

X

At the end of the hall, watching from around a corner, Paxton watched the interation with a deep scowl set in his features.

 **"This greatly complicates the narrative..."** he spoke to no one before vanishing into thin air.

 **A/N: One big ol' fluff chapter, but it seemed to be the best way to finally tie Ruby and Adrian together. Though it seems that not everybody is happy for the new couple, and with Volume One of RWBY steadily coming to a close, one can only consider what will happen in the events to come.**

 **Stay tuned guys, and I'll do my best to keep the updates coming.**


	14. Interval 13 - The Stray

**A/N: It's taken a bit of time, but the next update is finally ready for distribution. Given that I've made this story an AU, I had finished on what exactly in the RWBY-verse will be altered to make this all come full circle. Of course, I have no intention on revealing them now.**

 **I am also proud to announce, that someone has given me a good list of ideas for the next arc of this story. And I have decided to make them my Co-Author when the time comes to start writing Volume 2! I'm not ashamed to take on extra help with a story, and with the ideas this reader sent to me, I'd be foolish to not let them be a part of it.**

 **I will reveal who they are in the final chapter of this arc, until then, you know who you are my friend.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The news about Ruby and Adrian spread through Beacon rather quickly, their friends were very happy for them, offering them their best wishes and hoping that they were happy together.

Yang went about her usual big sister act of ensuring that her 'baby sister' was well taken care off or else. Ruby was embarrised, but Adrian took it in stride, thinking that it was standard for older siblings to put the fear of death into the one dating their younger sibling.

For the former FEAR operative, even though he felt happiness and bliss with the newly established relationship with the red cloaked girl, he still didn't fully comprehend the meaning of the emotions he was feeling. Given his past, and the lack of any kind of love while he had grown up.

Ruby understood this very well, remembering everything he had told her during their night out together, and was more than happy to teach and show him.

During the course of two weeks, Adrian felt a dynamic shift in his behavior since the kiss he shared with his team leader now girlfriend. He was smiling more, feeling less on edge and more at ease with everything around him. The absence of Paxton only adding to this sudden wave of change as he went through classes and spending more time with Ruby.

Although, deep within his soul, he could feel _her_ presence not so far away.

He'd been picking up bits and pieces from time to time, but now, he could sense the dark aura of his mother somewhere close. Always just out of sight and sensory range, but always watching from the shadows.

It was those moments when he knew that she was near was when he held Ruby the closest. Willing to protect her from the wrath Alma could unleash and fight to the bitter end if need be to keep her from harm.

When Ruby asked about his sudden change in demeanor from time to time, he made one hand sign that made it very clear and put a small spark of fear in the pit of her stomach.

[ _Mother_ ]

She knew all about Alma, and what she was capable of through what Adrian had told her. And the idea that she was close-by while they were in school did scare her a bit. But then she would hold Adrian's hand and the fear would just wash away, the feeling of warmth and safety filling her to her core from the minor contact alone.

Neither of them knew the cause or the source of the sudden, but very welcome, connection forged between them. Though neither really cared as they simply enjoyed one another's company to the fullest.

Currently, the newest couple was walking through Vale with the rest of the team. Having been dragged out by Weiss with the intention of seeing the Vytal Festival being set up. With it being Friday, team training scheduled for the following weekend and with no one having anything to do, they went along with the heiress out of curiosity.

The team of five making their way up one of the main streets of Downtown Vale, looking at the various sights and sounds around them.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much, Weiss...It's kinda weirding me out." said Ruby seeing her partner so elated. Her right hand holding Adrian's left as they walked beside one another.

Weiss had been acting like a complete opposite of her usual, stoic self as she looked at the many sights and decorations being set up around them.

The heiress looked at her partner oddly, "How could you not smile? A festival dedicated to the cultures of the world! Dances, a parade and a tournament! Oh the amount of planning and organization that goes into this event is breathtaking."

"You really know how to take something like this and make it boring, don't ya Weiss?" said Yang with a bored tone.

"Oh, be quiet you!" Weiss snapped back as the the team continued to walk down the street.

Adrian looked at the preparations for the Vytal Festival as well, not completely understanding what all the excitement was about. But from what he knew given the explinations from the teachers the large event was to help promote cooperation and peace amongst the four kingdoms.

Though he had a hard time gasping the concept. Even though there was supposed to be 'peace' throughout the world, there were numerous events that have happened that disavow such a claim.

They continued their trek as they entered the docking area of the city. The smell of the ocean and dead fish hitting them hard as they watched the ships coming and going.

"Remind me again why we're wasting our Friday afternoon being down here at the stupid docks." said Yang, covering her nose to fend off the smell.

"I heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today. And, as a representative of Beacon, I feel as though it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom." said Weiss as she watched the ships dock intently.

[Is that her way of telling us that she wants to spy on the competition?] Adrian signed, which had everyone else nodding in affermative.

"You can't confirm that!" exclaimed the heiress, catching the hand motions from the soldier.

Ruby's attention turned from the docks toward a store front that had its windows smashed in and surrounded by police tape. "Whoa," the rest of the group followed her and approached the store where two cops were talking to one another. "What happened here?" she asked.

"Robbery, second dust shop to be hit this week." replied one of the detectives on duty before walking away, "Damn place is turning into a jungle."

"They left all the money again." said another officer, "It just doesn't make sense, who needs that much dust?"

Adrian narrowed his eyes at the mention of all the dust that had been taken, remembering the dust robbery that he and Ruby had interferred with before they had started at Beacon. Wondering to himself if what they had encountered before and the current robberies were connected.

"You thinking the White Fang?" asked the detective to his subordinate.

Blake's back went straight at the mention of the White Fang while Weiss scoffed, "The White Fang, what an aweful bunch of degenerates."

"What's you're problem?" the raven-haired girl snapped sounding a little offended.

"My problem...is that I don't like the criminally insane." said the heiress turning to face her.

"They are hardly a bunch of psychopaths!" Blake fired back. "They are just a misguided group of Faunus."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!" she nearly shouted.

"Very misguided, then." Blake relented. "But that doesn't explain why they would rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

Ruby piped in then, "Blake's right. They never did catch that Torchwick guy Adrian and I fought months back. Maybe it was him and his thugs again."

"That still doesn't change the fact that White Fang are a bunch of scum." Weiss threw in, "Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat and steal!"

"That's not completely true." said Yang.

"Hey! Stop that Faunus!"

Near one of the larger cargo ships, a monkey-faunus ran along the deck while being chased by a couple of ship-hands. Leaping off the deck and on to a lamp post where he ate a banana without a care in the world. The two cops that were investigating the crime scene from earlier ran over to the new disturbance and tried coaxing him down and only received a peel to the face as a response.

Swinging himself from the lamp post, the monkey-faunus jumped into the gathered crowd and took off in a dead-sprint. Flying past the team and winking at a surprised Blake as he disappeared down the road with the police hot on his tail...literally.

"Well, Weiss." said Yang with her hands on her hips. "You wanted to see the competition, and there it goes..."

"Quick, after him!" the heiress shouted before chasing after him, the rest of the team looked at one another before running after Weiss. Following after the persuing officers as they tried to catch the stowaway.

Rounding corner, they skidded to a stop when the white-haired girl collided with someone and fell to the ground. Looking up they saw the monkey-faunus leaping up on to the buildings and away from capture.

"No! He got away!" Weiss cried out.

"Umm, Weiss?" said Yang pointing down, her partner noticing the girl she had unexpectedly crashed into looking back up at her with a weird smile and making her leap up off of her with a loud yelp.

"Sal-u-tations!" she said still prone on the ground and not losing her smile.

"Uh...hello?" Ruby said hesitantly.

"Are you alright?" asked Yang wondering about the strange girl.

"I am wonderful! Thank you for asking." the girl announced remaining in her position on the pavement and making everyone look at her strangely.

"Do you, want to get up?" asked Yang.

The girl seemed to think it over a moment before nodding, "Yes! Yes I would." without pause she flipped up from her back right up to her feet making the two teams step back. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Ruby smiled and introduced herself first, "Hi Penny, I'm Ruby."

"I'm Weiss."

"Blake."

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head?" asked Yang before Blake smacked her on the shoulder. "Ow! I'm Yang."

"And, this is Adrian." Ruby finished the introductions on behalf of their mute team mate. Who was observing the unusual girl they ran into.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Penny repeated not losing her smile.

"You already said that." said Weiss with a shake of her head.

Penny paused a moment and nodded, "So I did!" there was a thick, awkward silence surrounded them. The four girls of RWBY-A getting more than a bit creeped out by this girl and decided to beat a hasty retreat before things got even more strange.

"Well...sorry for running into you." Weiss said as they turned and began to walk off.

"Take care, friend!" Ruby called over her shoulder as they started back on the path they had been on before. Adrian giving Penny one last calculating look before following after the others.

They moved a few feet away before Yang spoke up about their recent encounter. "She was...weird."

Weiss shook her head, "Now, where did that Faunus riff-raf run off to?" Only to stop cold along with everyone else when they saw a familiar ginger standing infront of them looking at them oddly.

"What did you call me?" she asked seriously.

They heiress spun her head back and forth, trying to make sense of how she managd to get from one place to another so quick without being seen. Adrian had put his hand on the handle of his sidearm from the sudden appearence while Yang began to sputter out an apology. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't think you heard me!"

Penny shook her head, "Not you." she walked through the group and stood in front of Ruby. "You."

"Me?" the red cloaked girl squeaked and began to sputter trying to figure out how she had offended the other girl.

"You called me 'friend'." Penny clarified. "Am I really your friend?"

"Uuuuummmmm..." Ruby looked past her at the others. Yang, Blake and Weiss all shaking their heads and waving their arms as a sign of 'no', Adrian simply looked confused by the whole interaction which left her to decide for herself. "Yeah, sure. Why not?" she finally answered making the other girls in her team facefault.

Penny beamed brightly. "Sensational! We can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys! Like that handsome dark-haired one standing next to you." she rambled off making Ruby sweatdrop at the situation she was now in.

"Is this what it was like when you met me?" she asked Weiss who stood up and dusted herself off.

"No," said the heiress. "She seems FAR more coordinated."

"Soooo, what are you doing in Vale?" Yang asked.

"I'm here to fight in the tournament!" Penny announced proudly.

"Wait, you're fighting in the tournament?" Weiss asked thinking she misheard.

"I'm combat ready!" the girl said giving them a military salute.

The heiress shook her head, "Sorry, but you hardly look the part."

"Says the girl wearing a dress." Blake said with her arms crossed.

"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss said indignitely. Ruby slid up beside her in agreement while the the two high-fived one another before the white-haired girl realized something. "Wait a minute." she walked up and put her hands on Penny's shoulders, "If you're here for the tournament, does that mean that you know that monkey-tailed rapscallion that just passed here?" she said. Blake giving her a dark look in response.

Penny tilted her head, "The who?"

"The filthy Faunus from the boat!" the heiress exclaimed.

"Why do you keep saying that!" Blake shouted, having heard enough. "Stop calling him a rapscallion! Stop calling him a degenerate! He's a person!"

"Oh! I'm Sorry." Weiss said mockingly, "Would you also like me to stop calling a trash can a trash can, or a lamp post a lamp post while we're at it?"

"STOP IT!" the raven-haired girl shouted.

"Stop what?! He clearly broke the law! Give him time, he'll probably join those other Faunus in the White Fang." the heiress kept pushing.

"You ignorant little brat!"

"What did you-"

 _BANG! BANG!_

Everyone jumped and looked at Adrian, seeing him with one of his pistols aimed in the air having fired two shots to get their attention. [You both are giving me a headache.] he signed after slipping the Strader back into its holster. Brushing past the arguing duo, the soldier made his way up the street and away from them entirely.

Ruby glanced from him to her team a moment before jogging after him, "Adrian! Wait up!"

The ex-FEAR operative heard her clearly and slowed down enough for her to catch up. Her small hands holding his arm as they now walked side by side, "I don't know what's gotten into either fo them today. They've never fought like this before." the red cloaked girl said, hoping that her boyfriend wasn't too upset.

[It's because Blake's a faunus.] Adrian signed bluntly. [She's taking Weiss' words very personally.]

Ruby perked up in surprise, "What?! Blake's a faunus?! How do you know? She's always...wearing...a bow..." her own words registered in her mind and everything clicked into place. "I, uh, guess this explains why I've seen it twitching from time to time. I always thought it was the wind or something." she looked up at Adrian curiously, "How did you figure it out?"

[Her habits. Her addiction to fish was a strong indicator, but I've also seen her reading in the dark without any source of light. She's also very skittish around dogs, which tells me that she might be a cat-faunus. The fact that she can hide her extra features beneath her bow just brings it all together.] he explained in length.

"Makes sense...but why would she hide it from everyone? Even us?" wondered the red clad girl.

Adrian shrugged, [Her reasons are her own. Though her constant defense of the White Fang is troubling.]

"Why's that?"

The couple came to a stop so that the soldier could face her, [Despite what Blake thinks. The White Fang are not a group of 'misguided faunus'. They do lie, cheat and steal, but they also are responsible for criminal acts of terrorism. Bombings, executions, their methods are anything but ways to prove equal rights for the faunus.]

[I've encountered a handful of small cells while running from Armacham. To me, they're no different to the bastards that have tried to kill me.] Adrian finished. Of course, he kept the fact that he had 'dealt' with those White Fang cells personally to himself.

Ruby started speaking again, but her words were lost on him as a familiar feeling prickled at the back of his mind. All of his senses sharpening as she started glancing around them.

The street they were in was quiet. No other people were around, just the two of them, which made the feeling all the more foreboding.

"Adrian?" Ruby asked, seeing his eyes darting left and right along with his now tense posture. "What is it?"

Before he could respond, the soldier suddenly spun around. Shoving Ruby behind him with his sidearm in hand aimed at the opening of a dark alley to their right. His eyes now sharp as steel and his body locked in a fighting stance.

Before she could ask him what was going on a second time, Ruby froze when a dark chuckle emitted from the shadows infront of them. **"We must find another way to greet one another,"**

Stepping out from the alley, was Paxton Fettel. Hands behind his back as he casually strolled out into the open, a blade-like smile spreading across his face as he looked at his older sibling. **"Dear brother. I see you have been very** _ **engaged**_ **since our last time speaking."** the being or aura said, his sharp blue eyes locking onto Ruby.

 **"I trust you have told her of me in great detail, have you not?"**

"Yes, he has." said Ruby, a scowl on her usually innocent face as she stepped out from behind Adrian. "He's also told me about what you've done."

Paxton raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening before he vanished in a burst of red aura. **"Is that right?"** he spoke again, this time from over Ruby's shoulder, making her yelp and use her semblance to run around to Adrian's other side.

Adrian cocked the hammer back on his weapon and pressed it to his brother's forehead, both of them knowing full well that he couldn't hurt Paxton physically. But the open threat was very clear.

 **"I have no intention of hurting your precious little rose."** said Paxton with an eye roll. **"Besides, it is not me that you need to concern yourself with."**

The older of the two brothers tilted his head, keeping his weapon raised but mentally voicing what the psionic meant.

 **"No doubt you have felt mother's presence as of late?"** Paxton started, not in the least bit bothered with the Strader pressed to his forehead. **"She also knows of the little relationship the two of you have formed, and has taken a rather keen interest in it. You know how she gets when something concerns her sons."** he said the last part looking at the cloaked girl pointedly.

Hearing the way the apparition spoke had the skin on the back of Ruby's neck standing on end. "What does she want with me?" she asked, swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

Paxton shrugged, **"I cannot say, mother's reasons are her own."** he turned to Adrian who sent a very pointed thought his way. **"You know as well as I do that she is one that cannot be denied what she wants. You won't be able to keep your little beau from her for very long."**

Stepping around the couple, the psionic approached the alley he had stepped out of. **"I'm simply passing the warning along, what you do from here is your choice to make. But I would take caution, brother."** he said over his shoulder before dissolving into ashes.

When he was sure that Paxton was gone, Adrian lowered his pistol and holstered it before turning his attention to Ruby. The huntress in training was biting her lip, a look of fear in her eyes at the knowledge that Alma had taken an interest in her.

[Ruby.] he signed, getting her attention. [I won't let anything happen to you. I've defied my mother before, and I can do so again.]

"I...I know. It's just..." Ruby shivered before taking a deep breath and calming herself, "I'll be fine, Adrian. I mean, I'm not like the people that hurt you, maybe she just wants to get to know me?" she offered weakly.

Even though she was doing her best to be brave, despite the situation. Adrian could see clear as day that she was scared.

And if he was completely honest, for the first time in a long time, so was he.

X

The young couple returned to the academy later than the others. Taking a little extra time to wander around and take their minds off of things before going back.

On their way down the hallway toward their dorm room, Ruby and Adrian could both hear the sounds of loud arguing coming from behind the closed door. When they entered, neither of them were surprised to see Weiss and Blake back at each other's throats again.

Yang, who had been awkwardly on the sidelines throughout the whole thing, sent them an apologetic smile as the monochrome members of their team got louder in their shouting;

"So you agree? The White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss exclaimed, thinking that she had the argument won.

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Blake fired back.

"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" said the heiress.

"That IS the problem." snapped her team mate.

"You realize that you are defending an organization that HATES humanity, don't you?" asked Weiss pointedly, "The faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!"

Blake stood up from be bed and got in her face, "There's no such thing as PURE EVIL! Why do you think they hate humanity so much?! It's because of people like Cardin, people like YOU, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"

"People like ME?!" Weiss exclaimed in shock.

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'M A VICTIM!" the heiress' last shout silenced the room. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? Why I particularly don't trust the faunus? It's because they've been at war with my family for years."

Weiss turned and put her hands on a desk while gazing out the window at the shattered moon in the sky. "War, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And every since I was a child, I've watched family friends disappear. Board members, executed. An entire train car full of dust, stolen. And every day my father would come home furious. And that made for a very DIFFICULT childhood."

Ruby approached her partner and out a hand on her shoulder, "Weiss...I-"

"NO!" the heiress shouted, spinning around and glaring at Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang?! It's because they're a bunch of liers, thieves, and MURDERERS!"

"WELL MAYBE WE WERE JUST TIRED OF BEING PUSHED AROUND!"

The silence and tension in the room became suffocating. All eyes looked at Blake in shock at what her outburst had revealed, even Adrian had been surprised at what she had let slip.

Looking at everyone, face pale when she realized she had outed herself to her team, her friends, she did the only thing she could do in that moment...

She ran.

"Blake! Wait, come back!" Ruby shouted while going after her, Yang and Adrian on her heels leaving Weiss alone in the room.

In the hallway, there was no sign of the raven-haired girl. "We need to find her, split up guys." the young leader said, the other two nodded as they went in separate directions. Yang toward the library, Adrian to the roof while Ruby went to the front courtyard.

"Please, Blake, don't do something crazy." the cloaked girl said to herself as she went out the door into the cool night air, using her semblance to go even faster as she appeared at the statue that stood in the front of Beacon.

But no one was there.

Stopping infrint of the fountain, Ruby looked in every direction for any sign of her friend. "Blake! Blake! Where are you?!" she called out, getting only silence in reponse. "Where would she go?" she wondered to herself, wracking her brain on where Blake could have gone and how to get to her.

"The port! Maybe it's not too late!" Ruby turned and prepared to use her speed again...but stopped all movement entirely when she saw that someone was standing a couple meters away.

A little girl in a red dress. Her long curtain of black hair covering her eyes from view.

There was a moment of confusion, but then Ruby remembered how Adrian had described his mother in her many forms. Her eyes widening and her breath all but freezing in her chest when she realized exactly who it was that was standing before her.

"A-Alma..." she whispered, her throat constricting in fear as the 'girl' raised her head. Glowing ember eyes locking onto startled silver.

In the blink of an eye, Alma was now standing right infront of Ruby. In another blink, the 'girl' had changed to a full grown woman wearing a long black dress, now looking down at the younger girl. The air around them seemed to darken, closing in until it was just the two of them and nothing else.

 _ **"You will show me..."**_ Alma spoke telepathically, raising her hand until it hovered over Ruby's forehead. Her eyes glowing brighter, and being the last thing the cloaked girl saw before her whole world went black.

 **A/N: The return of the cliffhanger from hell. Blake's run off, and Alma has finally decided to make a move on Ruby. But what will be the outcome of this fated meeting between Adrian's mother and his new girlfriend?**

 _ **Next time: Interval 14 - Revelations**_


	15. Interval 14 - Revelations

**A/N: I have to admit, this chapter took a fair bit of mental juice to plan out. I've been planning off and on before this how an interaction between Ruby and Alma would go, especially after I made the chapter 'Visions'. But I think I managed to get it just the right way while maintaining key points in FEAR-lore.**

 **But in the end, like always, I leave you all to be the judges.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Adrian checked the roof thoroughly before making his way back to the stairwell. Even though he had his own concerns after Blake openly admitted to having ties to the White Fang, the only way to get any answers would have been to speak with her in person.

And after not telling any of them, she certainly had a lot to answer for. Especially if there was a chance that she was still part of the faunus terrorist cell. But first she needed to be found.

When he reached the door that would take him back inside, the soldier scowled when he found it locked.

Pulling on it again, he took a step back, wondering what had happened. It hadn't been locked when he came up, so how did it-

 **"Having trouble?"**

Adrian gritted his teeth and turned his head to see Paxton standing with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. **"You should contact the janitor about that. It could prove to be a hindrance should something important occur."**

The ex-FEAR operative didn't like the tone his younger brother was using, and the fact that he had shown up now all of a sudden didn't settle well with him. Turning to face Paxton completely, he mentally questioned what he wanted and what was going on. The bad feeling only getting worse when the smug look aimed at him turned into a sadistic smile.

 **"I figured the two of us could speak alone, we certainly couldn't do so earlier with that girl of yours hanging off your arm."** said the psionic, answering the unasked question. **"Though, if mother has her way, she may not be much of a problem anymore."**

A cold punch hit Adrian in the chest, nearly freezing every vein in his body when he connected the dots and realized what had happened.

Spinning back around, he delivered a hard kick to the door, denting the metal and rattling the frame harshly. **"She's only a distraction to you, brother."** Paxton continued speaking as the older of the two kicked the door again. **"She will only hinder your strength, and weaken your bond to me and mother."** another hard kick, the metal denting farther.

 **"There is no hope to save her,"** Adrian drew one of his sidearms and fired into the hinges before sending one last kick to the door, sending it crashing down the stairwell beyond as he sprinted down the steps two at a time.

 **"Because it's already too late."** Paxton finished, smile never leaving his face knowing that his tactic to delay his brother long enough had worked. Now all he needed to do was wait.

X

 _Ruby had no idea where she was. Her last memory was standing in Beacon's courtyard looking for Blake...then she remembered seeing the girl in red...Alma...then blackness._

"Where am I?" _she thought to herself, trying to find anything that would give her a clue._

 _There was a blinding flash of light, and in the next moment Ruby found herself standing in some kind of office. A bank of computer monitors dominating one wall where two men in white lab coats could be seen watching them._

 _"Remarkable." said one of them, a female, "She's only three years old, but already shows enormous psionic potential. The possibilities as she grows older can be endless."_

 _The male scientist nodded, "She has limitless potential, every test given to her as proven positive. Project Paragon has been a complete success thus far. Now we need to move onto Phase 2. If we can discover the source of her power, and its response to external stimuli, we might be able to find a way to unlock it in others."_

 _"I'll make the call...but are you sure, Doctor Wade?" asked the female scientist, "She is your daughter, and these tests and experiments could prove to be-"_

 _"I will take your worries into account." the man interrupted, "Until then, do not forget who is the head of this project."_

 _The woman nodded seriously, "Yes, sir."_

 _Ruby's perspective changed to that of a small room where a little girl of three years old with long raven hair sat at a small table. A red crayon in hand as she colored the piece of paper before her._

 _She paused in her artwork and slowly looked up toward one of the camera's in the top corner near the ceiling. Her dark eyes staring at it blankly for a moment or two before she returned to the page before her._

 _Time passed in the blink of an eye, now the girl was five, sitting in a lone chair in the room with nothing else around her with the male doctor from before pacing infront of her._

 _"I know what you've been doing, Alma." he said sternly, turning to face her with a hard look. "You've been failing tests that you and I know full well that you can pass easily. The recent rash of nightmares and delusions the staff have been suffering from, and the fire in the lab last week, can all be led back to you as well."_

 _Alma remained silent, eyes cast to the floor and refusing to look up._

 _"Look at me when I'm speaking to you, Alma!" the doctor demanded. The girl slowly rose her head and looked up at him, her face an emotionless mask. "Is this about the tests? Some, rebellious phase to tell us that you don't want to do them anymore?" he asked._

 _Again, the answer was silence, which made him sigh. "I'm sorry, Alma. But all of this is for the betterment of everyone. You just need to bare with it a little longer, can you do that sweetie?"_

 _Alma lowered her gaze back to the floor and said nothing._

 _Standing unseen in the nearby corner, Ruby was in shock._

 _The little girl before her, was Adrian's mother. The murderous entity that had killed a lot of people and had been stalking after her own son all this time._ "Are these...memories?" _she thought as the scene before her changed again._

X

 _At the same time, Alma was experiencing something similar._

 _The telepathic link she had forged between herself and the girl allowed her to see her inner most thoughts and memories. Everything about the child was laid out before the powerful psionic like an open book._

 _The memories that played out were that of the girl when she was young. A cozy home in a small forest, a father, a mother, and an older sister. All of them happy and carefree with life as they enjoyed every minute._

 _Alma found herself becoming angry...and jealous. Seeing the woman who could have been the girl's older duplicate cooking for, playing with, and loving her two daughters like any mother should._

 _It was something that she had been robbed of the very moment both of her sons were born...but had wanted more than anything._

 _Time passed, the girl grew, more happy memories came and went...then they became darker, sadder._

 _Her mother left on a mission, a huntress, but she never returned. The psionic watched as the small family became broken, the spark of happiness that had once been there dimmed as they tried to forge on without her._

 _The girl being hit the hardest, but as time went on, her hurt became a burning determination. A drive to become a huntress like her mother. Going to combat school with her sister, being taken under the wing of her 'uncle', she worked tirelessly to live up to the legacy her mother had left behind._

 _Through the continuous haze of fury and hate, Alma felt great curiosity as she continued to watch the girl, Ruby Rose, go through her life._

X

 _Ruby fought back tears as she continued watching Alma's life continue to play out infront of her._

 _The now eight year old girl being taken and put into Project Origin. And from what she remember from her talk with Adrian about the Armacham corporations intentions in the project, she was still unprepared for how far the scientists were willing to go for results._

 _How far Alma's own father was willing to go for results._

 _The huntress in training looked on as Alma was locked inside a stasis chamber her Harlan Wade had referred to as 'the vault'. Where her psychic abilities would be prevented from causing anymore havoc._

 _An action that had been brought about when she had killed a few of the people in charge of her tests through the use of her powers in one way or another._

 _She'd been kept in stasis for six years, until she had turned 15, where she had been taken out and impregnated with a clone embryo made from genetic contributions from several people amongst the Project Origin staff._

 _Nine months later, Alma was strapped to a table and put through child birth where she had a little boy. And not two seconds after his first breath, he had been wisked away by Harlan who looked down at him with a triumphant grin;_

 _"You will be a god among men." he looked at one of the nearby technitians, "Take her back to the vault."_

 _"No!" Alma screamed as she watched her father take her baby away, "Where are you taking him! Give him back! GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!" lights around the room flickered and objects rattled as her powers began to fluctuate with her emotions._

 _One of the technitians however moved fast, taking a needle gun and injecting her with something that started to put her back to sleep. Her hand outstretched as her child disappeared from sight before drifting away._

 _Tears slipped down Ruby's pale cheeks. Alma didn't even get a chance to so much as see her child as he was all but ripped from her._

 _She'd just become a mother at a young age, she was confused mentally and emotionally. But her own father simply took her baby away and sent her back into confinement like she meant nothing. Using her as a breeding machine for psychic soldiers._

 _A year later, it happened again. But a now 16 year old Alma wasn't going to let her father or the other scientists take her second child without a fight. After the new baby boy was born, and taken into Harlan's arms, she attacked._

 _Breaking free from her restraints, she sent the technitians flying into nearby walls and equipment. One of them who attempted to attack her with a scalpel was grabbed with telekinesis and had his neck violently snapped until his head was facing the opposite way._

 _Harlan had fled the room, an enraged, robed psionic on his tail as she blew the doors to the room off the frames. Leaving a trail of bloody footprints in her wake as she stalked down the long corridor. Using her powers to blow open another set of doors, she found herself facing a squad of ATC soldiers with their weapons trained on her._

 _"Freeze! Or we'll-" the lead soldier was silenced as a blast of power sent him slamming into the wall behind him. His bones shattering and blood splashing along the wall on impact._

 _The rest of the men opened fire as Alma approached them slowly. Their rounds seeming to have a life of their own as they curved just enough to miss her completely._

 _Reaching the squad, she swipped her arm. A wave of power lashing out from her and sending the heavily armed guards flying out of her way so that she could continue her search...then she heard a cry...one that could only come from a newborn._

 _Her awoken maternal instincts kicked in and she moved quicker in the direction of the sound. Entering a dark room with a lone light shining down on a couple of small beds where two bundles laid. One of them significantly smaller than the other._

 _Alma approached the small beds, and was shocked to see that it was both her sons. The one year old and newborn boys looking up at her, instinctually knowing that she was their mother._

 _Smiling down at them, she reached out to take them into her arms-_

 _A sharp prick in the side of her neck made her tense, snapping her head to the side to find Harlan Wade standing there with a sedative in hand. "They aren't yours, Alma. They never were. It's time you understood that."_

 _Sending all of the hate and anger she could at the man she had once known as her father, the teenage mother fell into slumber once again before being sealed away from the world._

 _Having bore witness to the inhuman atrocities that had befallen the young mother, Ruby could no longer stay on her own two feet. Collapsing to her knees, hand over her mouth as she sobbed quietly._

 _What MONSTER would do this to anyone, let alone their own daughter and grandchildren? Two boys raised without their mother, Alma forced to never be around them...and for what? A stupid project that only wanted to control something that wasn't theirs._

 _The air around her flashed white again, but this time it stayed that way. Ruby looked up, wiping at her wet cheeks as her silver eyes found Alma standing before her in her 8 year old body._

 _"...Are you going to kill me?" Ruby asked hesitantly, still very unsure on what her fate would become at the psionic's hands._

 _Alma took a handful of steps forward until she was barely a foot from the girl. Her glowing eyes meeting her gaze with her face the same emotionless mask it had always been._

 _ **"No."**_ _the woman's voice echoed from seemingly every direction, yet her lips did not move._

 _Ruby blinked, both in shock and confusion at the answer she received. "Huh? But...why? I-I thought that was what you were planning to do?"_

 _The child's form changed to that of an adult, the one wearing the long black dress she had seen before._ _ **"It was, at first. But I needed to see..."**_

 _"See what?" asked the young huntress as she stood up, her frame only an inch or so shorter than the older woman._

 _ **"You share a connection with my eldest son, one that made me concerned."**_ _replied Alma._ _ **"I needed to see what this connection was, to protect him, like any mother would."**_

 _Ruby now understood what this was, "You were testing me. To see if I was as bad as the ones that hurt you, Adrian and Paxton."_

 _The psionic nodded slowly,_ _ **"Armacham, Project Origin...FATHER."**_ _the last word was uttered with such hate, the white atmosphere around them flashed crimson for several beats,_ _ **"They took everything from me. My life, and the lives of my sons. For years hatred grew within me as I was denied what any mother desired most, forced to watch from within my own mind as my babies were experimented on, tortured, for their sick amusement."**_

 _ **"All of us enduring a life of waking from one nightmare...only to find ourselves deep in another. The fear, the hatred, it consumed me to the point only one drive remained...vengeance!"**_

 _Alma's eyes glowed with her growing emotions,_ _ **"They have to die...all of them. For what they had done to my family. And I swore, that no matter what it took or the cost, I would protect my sons in anyway that I could. Even if the world must burn."**_

 _Waiting quietly, being sure that she wouldn't interrupt the powerful woman, Ruby swallowed thickly before speaking. "Is...Is that why you released Paxton? To get your revenge?"_

 _ **"Yes."**_ _replied Alma._ _ **"My youngest was the only one born with psionic potential, and thus had a connection to me. I had not known of what happened to Adrian after Project Origin was shutdown...until I nearly killed him."**_

 _The regret and guilt in her telepathic tone was strong, which got even stronger when she continued._ _ **"I never anticipated what Paxton would do after he escaped and took control of the Replica army. He and I always had a strong bond, ever since he was a child with me locked away inside Armacham's vault...I never thought that my own hatred and fury would imprint onto him. Twist his mind into what he became."**_

 _"It's not your fault." Alma tilted her head curiously at Ruby, who bit her lip nervously. "N-None of what happened is. The blame lies with Armacham, and your fa-Harlan Wade." she said, amending the last part because she refused to allow that monster the title of father. "They used you, hurt you, then they did the same to Adrian and his brother...I've...I've seen it."_

 _Ruby took a deep breath, "I started having dreams, ones I couldn't make sense of at first. They were about two boys, in some strange facility being put through horrible tests. And in each one, a little girl in a red dress would appear...you. Somehow, someway, I think I was reliving Adrians lost memories in my sleep...but I can't understand how."_

 _ **"It is the bond forged between you."**_ _said Alma._ _ **"Your aura...I can feel my son's mixed with yours. As if the two of you are connected by your very souls. It was one of many things I saw when I first tapped into your mind."**_

 _ **"You are pure light in a dark world. Something I believed could never exist. And that light drew my son to you, like a moth to a flame. You have eased his anguish, something I myself could never do."**_

 _The psionic closed her eyes,_ _ **"Even though I have done my best to protect him, he will always distance himself from me. Even knowing I am his mother, he both fears and recents me for what I had unleashed that fateful day.**_ _Reopening her glowing orbs, she locked onto the silver ones before her,_ _ **"That is why I will never harm you, Ruby Rose. To hurt you, is to hurt my child. Something I vowed to never do again. He deserves happiness for what the world has done to him, for what I have done to him."**_

 _"I would never hurt him." Ruby said with conviction, "I...I love him."_

 _Alma glanced down at the mention of the word. Love. It was a concept she was not completely familiar with, but one that, from what she had seen in Ruby's memories, was a very strong emotion toward someone else._

 _For so long the only thing she ever wanted was for her family to be whole again, and to spill the blood of those that had wronged them. But after seeing what she had in the young girl's mind, the warmth and happiness that existed, she now had much to think on._

 _Perking her head up, the psionic felt her eldest son's presence getting closer on the outside._ _ **"Our time has come to an end."**_ _she said looking back at Ruby,_ _ **"My curiosity has been quelled...for now. But know that I will always be watching, child."**_

 _The brightness around them grew in intensity before everything fell into darkness._

X

The doors leading into Beacon slammed open, Adrian sprinting outside, eyes frantic as he looked in every direction for any sign of Ruby. Blood pounding in his ears with the amount of adrenaline pumping through his system, fear dominating his mind at the thought of what could have happened to the red cloaked girl.

Memories of blackened skeletons surrounded by puddles of blood and liquidated flesh, whole bodies being twisted out of shape before being viciously torn apart filled his thoughts.

Shaking his head violently to rid himself of the images, Adrian headed in the direction of the courtyard. Seeing the fountain right infront of him...and a familiar red cloak sitting at the base of it.

The soldier nearly activated his semblance as he ran full speed to the monument. Finding Ruby sitting on the ground leaning against he low wall with her head leaning to the side and her eyes closed.

Dropping down beside her, Adrian slowly reached his hand out and touched the side of her neck. Relief flooding through him when he felt her pulse beating against his fingers.

A soft groan escaped her lips a moment before her eyes fluttered open. "A-Adrian?" she asked, turning her head to meet his concered look.

The ex-FEAR operative smiled widely, hands cupping her face in elation that she was alive and well. Ruby smiled back, "I'm okay...She didn't hurt me."

Both the smile dropped from Adrian's face as the mention of _she_ , his eyes scanning the nearby shadows with sharp precision for any sign of his mother's presence.

"Adrian," Ruby said, bringing his attention back to her, "I'm fine, I promise."

Helping her to her feet, Adrian brought her into a tight embrace. Holding her close as though shielding her from the world around them. Thankful that she was okay mentally and physically after her encounter with Alma.

But he was confused. Most people his mother encountered either ended up dead in some horrible way, or had their minds broken beyond repair. Even though he was beyond glad Ruby wasn't harmed, he couldn't help but wonder how that was possible.

[What did she do?] he signed to the red cloaked girl when they separated.

"I think she was testing me. Wanting to see if I would hurt you like Armacham and Harlan hurt you and your family. I must have made an impression or something." replied Ruby. "She...She showed me what had happened to her, what she had been put through as a child, then what happened during Project Origin. How you and Paxton were taken from her."

The prickling feeling of tears gathering in her eyes had her wiping at them, "No one should ever have to suffer like that. What your family was put through, it was inhuman, I never thought that people were capable of doing something like that to someone else, let alone to a mother and her children."

Ruby looked Adrian in the eye, "Your mother...she's not evil, Adrian. She was afraid, and angry after everything that happened. She only ever wanted to have her family together again, for you to be happy. That's why she didn't hurt me. She saw how happy you are when we're together, and knew that if she killed me, she'd only be hurting you."

Thinking over what he was being told, the soldier tried to make sense of the new information. Could it have been possible? Was Alma's actions in the past just her way of trying to be the mother she should have been? It didn't explain Paxton. She released him, his mind warped to the point where he became a monster made flesh...it was all hard to grasp.

His train of thought came to a stop when a warm, soft hand touched his cheek, bringing his attention back to Ruby. The younger girl reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his lips, easing his racing mind.

"It's getting late." she said when the kiss ended and saw the time. "We should get back to the dorm and get some sleep."

[What about Blake?] Adrian signed.

Ruby sighed and looked in the direction of the sky dock. Knowing that their dark-haired friend was already long gone. "She more than likely left the campus, she could be anywhere in Vale by now. The best we can do is wait for her to come back. If she doesn't by the end of the weekend, we'll go looking for her."

The soldier nodded, agreeing with her idea before they started making their way back inside. Their hands coming together, fingers intertwining along the way.

X

 _In a wide field of blinding light, a lone boy dressed in a grey jumpsuit with 'P1' imprinted on the front could be seen sitting alone, his legs drawn up to his chest and face burrowed in his knees._

 _Bringing his head up, he blinked when he saw a little girl standing infront of him. Her hair a dark color ending with red tips and wearing a red t-shirt and black shorts with a long red cloak that was far too big for her wrapped around her shoulders._

 _She held her hand out to the boy, her silver colored eyes shining brightly as she smiled at him._

 _Hesitantly, he reached his hand up and took hers, pulling himself up to his feet. The girl's smile widened before she started pulling him along with her, the boy's lips stretching into his own smile as they ran side by side together._

 **A/N: Suspense and a bit of drama, and of course, a bit of light romance with Beacon's new power-couple.**

 **A lot of people forget easily that Alma really wasn't the bad guy in the FEAR series. Much like Carrie in Stephen King's book, she was in a very harsh situation and her powers escalated with every bad event that happened to her. With what her father and Armacham put her through, she more than deserved her revenge.**

 **But she never thought that her own hatred and fury would also consume Paxton and turn him into what he was, while at the same time making Point Man resent her after what had happened at Fairport. But at the same time, both brothers having a similar thirst to get back at the company that ruined their lives.**

 **The interaction between Alma and Ruby, I believe, was a way to be an eye opener for both of them. To show her that not everyone in the world is as horrible as her father and Project Origin had been, while at the same time showing Ruby that the world can be far more cruel than she first thought it to be.**

 **Both now have different perspectives, which will help them later on down the road.**

 **Been loving the feedback guys, keep the reviews coming!**


	16. Interval 15 - Black and White

**A/N: Volume one is quickly drawing to a close, but the next few chapters leading up to it will be one hell of a ride. Oh yes fans, there will be a lot of death coming worthy of this crossover category. And it has been a long time coming.**

 **So now, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

The weekend had come and gone...and there had been no sign of Blake.

The remaining members of RWBY-A remained on campus, hoping for their friend to return, but their waiting had been for naught. Weiss had been adamant about them contacting either the headmaster of the police, saying that their newly discovered faunus team mate more than likely either ran off back to the White Fang, of fled the kingdom entirely.

Neither Ruby or Yang wanted to accept either idea. As for Adrian, he had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

Blake being a faunus wasn't the issue. What was, was the fact that she had been part of the White Fang and said nothing. And worse than that...she defended them. Calling them misguided and trying to justify the acts they committed.

Even though he still considered Blake a friend, and he hated agreeing with Weiss' ranting, the heiress had been right on one fact.

The innocent never ran...but at the same time, it didn't mean she was guilty either.

Getting up Sunday morning and seeing their missing team mate was still missing, the remaining four gathered their things and set out into Vale to look for her themselves.

Shortly after arrival, the team split up to cover more ground. Yang and Weiss going together, along with Ruby and Penny, who had joined them shortly after they had gotten to the city from Beacon, which left Adrian to search on his own.

The ex-FEAR operative was currently in the downtown Vale area, sharp and trained eyes searching the many crowds and stores around him for any sign of Blake. All while letting his mind wander to everything else that had happened in the last couple of days.

Since the night Ruby had encountered his mother, there had been no sign of Alma in any way. Even after his girlfriend explaining to him in great detail everything she had seen and experienced when the two of them had their minds linked, he had a hard time grasping the fact that the same supernatural entity that had slaughtered his team mates and ruthlessly stalked him all throughout Fairport wasn't as evil as she had appeared to be.

Though, if he were honest, a small part of him always believed that there was a reason behind why his mother was the way she was. He only knew so much of what Armacham and Harlan Wade had done to her...and by extention Paxton and himself. Even after uncovering the many files scattered throughout the Origin facility they had tried to erase, the details of what they were doing was vague at best.

Now...the soldier wasn't so sure about anything anymore. Armacham was the enemy, that much was for certain. Even with Harlan no longer amongst the living, the corporation more than likely had a few higher ups still running things...which explained why they had tried so hard to capture him the first time after he escaped the war torn city.

His family problems aside, those were the facts.

Continuing his search, Adrian showed no outward emotion when he felt a annoyingly familiar presence appear beside him. Unnoticed by the populace around them.

 **"It would seem mother has felt generous, as of late."** Paxton said casually as they walked side by side. **"I personally was surprised that she approved of your little rose. Although, she was never truely the monster Armacham made her out to be."**

Adrian kept walking, doing his best to ignore his brother and focus on the task at hand. **"Be angry with me if you must, brother. But know that I was only doing what was needed for the sake of our family."** the younger of the two spoke, sensing the soldier's rage that was aimed at him like a knife point. **"Your beau lived, that should have be more than enough to-"**

The older brother had stopped mid-stride and whirled around to level a damning glare at Paxton. One that promised death again and again if he had the ability.

It was a look that had unnerved the usually calm and sadistic Paxton Fettel, reminding the youngest of Alma's sons of the moment before Adrian pulled the trigger and ended his mortal life. By stopping him from going to Ruby's side when she was in serious danger, Paxton had crossed a very deep line, one that the older of two would have been more than happy to seek retribution for.

Breathing out slowly, and keeping his outward features emotionless, Paxton raised his hands. **"Very well. I apologize."**

Adrian blinked, not believing that he had just heard correctly.

 **"Do not act surprised. I do know when to admit when I am wrong."** the psionic admitted, **"There must be something the two of you see in her that I cannot. And if mother can accept her, then I will attempt to do so as well. The last thing I wish is for our family to be more divided than what it has already become."**

Shaking his head, the soldier started moving again, Paxton falling in step beside him as his brother continued his search. After a few minutes, the psionic became bored with the mundane task. **"If you are looking for the wayward faunus, she is on the street to the left."** he said pointing at the approaching corner ahead. **"Her negative emotions since she feld the school are like a homing beacon, I could feel them from miles away."**

Adrian didn't even bother to question him and turned down the proper street, going down several blocks until he saw a second floor cafe. And sitting at one of the tables closest to the railing, was Blake. The blonde monkey-faunus their team had encountered at the docks days prior across from her.

Doing his best to stay out of sight, the ex-FEAR operative ducked down an alley behind the building next to the cafe. Going up a fire escape to the roof top, he crouched low beside the ledge as he looked down on his team mate and friend as she seemed to be enjoying coffee with her fellow faunus.

His first instinct was to contact the others and tell them of her location. But at the same time, he had a chance to figure out exactly why she ran from them, something that wouldn't be done if they all cornered her at once.

So for now, Adrian stayed out of sight and listened as the duo spoke to one another;

"Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang?" asked the blonde in shock after coughing up some of his drink.

Blake nodded, "That's right. I was a member for most of my life actually." she said closing her eyes as she remembered her past. "You could almost say I was born into it. Back then, things were different. In the ashes of the war, the White Fang was supposed to be a symbol of unity between the humans and the Faunus. Of course, despite being promised equality, the Faunus were subjected to descrimination and hate."

"Humanity still thought of us as lesser beings. And so, the White Fang rose up as the voice of our people."

She took a drink from the coffee before her before continuing, "And I was there. I was at the front of every ralley, I took part in every boycott. And I actually thought we were making a difference...but I was just a youthful optomist." she looked off to the side as she looked more solumn. "Then, five years ago our leader stepped down and a new one took his place. A new leader with a new way of thinking."

"Suddenly our peaceful protests turned into organized attacks. We were setting fires to shops that refused to serve us. Hijacking cargo used by companies that used Faunus labor. And the worst part was, it was working. We were being treated like equals. But not out of respect...out of fear."

Blake set her empty cup down and stared into it. "So I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. And instead I would dedicate my life to becoming a huntress. So here I am, a criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little black bow." she finished while wiggling the article on her head.

Up above, Adrian soaked in all the new information. Piecing everything together and understanding why Blake would run from the White Fang.

 **"Hmm, so she abandoned her original way of life to attain some form of redemption for what she had committed."** said Paxton, having not left his brother's side. **"All while desperately holding onto the belief that the White Fang can change...pathetic."**

Ignoring the psionic, Adrian watched as Blake, and the other faunus who's name was Sun, finished their little get together and leave the cafe. Moving back to the fire escape, he headed down to street level and went after them.

Knowing that he could be heard given the enhanced senses a faunus possesses, the soldier remained out of sight and at a good distance to avoid detection while picking up more of their conversation.

"So, what's the plan now?" Sun asked he and Blake turned down a mostly empty street.

Blake sighed, "I still don't believe the White Fang is behind these robberies. They never needed that much dust before."

Sun seemed to realize something and stopped, "What if they did? I mean, the only way to prove that the _didn't_ do it, is to go to the place they would most likely go to if they were to do it, and not find them there. Right?"

The cat-faunus was a little surprised at her companions words, then looked to the ground in throught. "The only thing is, I have no idea where that would be."

"Well, while I was on the ship I heard some guys talking about unloading a huge shipment of dust coming in from Atlas." said Sun.

"How huge?" asked Blake.

" _Huge_. Big Schnee company freighter."

"You're sure?"

The monkey-faunus nodded, "Positive. The shipment should be arriving tonight at the docks around 11. We could set up our own little stake-out and see who's really behind all this."

Blake considered it before nodding, "Alright. It's the best chance we have to find out the truth. We'll meet up at the docks an hour before the dust shipment arrives."

Hearing everything he needed, Adrian slipped into the alley he had been in. Taking out his scroll, he prepared to send a message to Ruby and the others to let them know what he had found out.

 **"Are you really willing to put them in harms way?"** he looked up at Paxton who was casually leaning against a nearby wall with his arms crossed. **"If the White Fang intend on taking such a large shipment of dust, then they will be there in great numbers and have enough firepower to become a serious threat. If your friends know where Blake his heading, they will be there in a heartbeat...right in the crosshairs. Her ambition to find innocence in those terrorists will end up getting them killed."**

Adrian's thumb hovered over his scroll's screen, as much as he really hated to admit it, even to himself, the psionic had a point. Ruby would do anything for their friends, even if that meant wading through the fire beside them, it was one of her many charms.

And after her recent encounter with his mother, the last thing he wanted was for her to be put in another life or death fight so soon. It may have been her life's goal to become a huntress, but she didn't know war like he did.

And if the White Fang were going to be there, that was exactly what might become of the evening.

Putting his scroll back in his pocket, Adrian made his way in the same direction the two faunus were heading. Intending on making sure that his team mate didn't end up getting herself killed.

X

On the other side of Vale, Ruby looked down at her scroll with a frown on her face. She hadn't heard anything from anyone in the last couple hours, she hadn't had any luck in finding Blake, and apparently no one else had either.

The young leader was worried about her friend, hoping that they could find her before something else happened.

"So. Blake is your friend?" questioned Penny as the two of them walked together.

Ruby sighed, "Yes, Penny."

"But you're made at her?"

"Yes! W-Well, I'm not, Weiss is." the cloaked girl explained.

The ginger haired girl thought for a moment, "Is 'she' friends with Blake?"

"Well, that's kind of up in the air right now."

"But, why?"

Ruby sighed deeper and stopped to face Penny, "Well, you see, Blake might not be who we thought she was."

Penny gasped, "Is she a man?"

"No! No, Penny, she's no-I don't know what she is." the cloaked girl said back. "She didn't exactly talk to us before she decided to run off."

"I don't have a lot of friends, but if I did, I would want them to talk to me about things." said the other girl.

Ruby nodded, "Me too." They started walking again, but the silence between them didn't last long as Penny asked another question.

"Is Adrian your friend too?"

"He's more than that to me, Penny." said Ruby with a light pink filling her cheeks.

"More than a friend?" asked the ginger, "What could be more than a friend?"

The cloaked girl sighed for what felt like the hundreth time, "He's my boyfriend. Someone I care about a great deal and do things with most friends don't normally do."

Penny nodded, a light frown on her face as she thought hard about something. "Your 'boyfriend' is very different compared to other people."

"Different how?" asked Ruby, curious.

"I'm...not sure. When you and your friends met me the other day, there was someone else standing behind him." explained the other girl.

The red clad girl came to a sudden halt, "What...did you see?" she asked hesitantly.

"It was a little girl." replied Penny. "She wore a dress the same color as your cloak...but she disappeared when she saw me looking at her. Do you know her? Is she a friend?"

Ruby swallowed, knowing that Penny had unknowingly seen Alma while she had been following after Adrian. "It's...It's really complicated, Penny. Let's just leave it at that."

Penny tilted her head, confused. "Complicated? How is it comp-"

"It just is." the cloaked girl interrupted, not wanting to get any farther into this topic, especially after everything she had learned about Adrian's mother. "Let's keep moving, we still gotta find Blake."

"Okay. Lead the way, Ruby my friend!"

X

Night had fallen over Vale, the cool air breezing through the streets at the late hour as many citizens had turned in for the evening.

But the same couldn't be said for lone girl on the rooftop of a warehouse that overlooked the shipping yard of the city's docks.

Blake laid on her stomach, her sharp eyes scanning over the docks below for any signs of a disturbance. The crates of dust had been offloaded from the freighter a while ago and had remained neatly stacked where the crews had left them.

So far, there had been no sign of the White Fang, or anyone else for that matter.

"Did I miss anything?" she looked up to see Sun touch down close by with his arms holding several apples to his chest.

"Not really." Blake said shaking her head. "They offloaded all of the crates from the boat. Now they're just sitting there."

The monkey-faunus nodded, "Cool," he held out his arms to her. "I stole you some food."

"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" asked the raven-haired girl with a raised eyebrow.

"Weren't you a part of a cult, or something?" Sun asked back, getting a very sharp glare in return. "Ooookay...too soon."

The wind suddenly kicked up all around them. Looking toward the sky, they found a bullhead with a couple of spot lights coming in and touching down within the shipping yard. The ramp of the troop compartment coming down and allowing the occupants off.

From their position, they could make out a group of men wearing the familiar garb of the White Fang came down the ramp and began to spread out with weapons drawn.

"Oh no..." Blake said shaking her head after seeing the truth.

"Is that them?" asked Sun.

The cat-faunus nodded, "Yes. It's them."

"You didn't want it to be true, did you?" he asked touching her shoulder.

"Deep down, I think I already knew...I just didn't want to be right." she said just as another voice shouted out from somewhere down below.

"Hey! What's the hold up?!" Their eyes widened as they looked down at the air transport as another figure came down the ramp. A man in a white jacket wearing black gloves and pants, a bowler hat on his head covering dark-orange hair wielding a cane.

Roman Torchwick.

"We're not the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment!" Roman said loud enough for the grunts to hear. "So why don't you animals try to pick up the pace!"

"This isn't right." Blake said while shaking her head. "The White Fang would never work with a human. Especially not one like that." Before any of the guys could stop her, she stood and drew Gambol Shroud before jumping off the rooftop and sprinting along the freight containers toward the criminal and his escort.

"Blake!" Sun called out for her but she was already gone. "Dammit!"

X

On the other side of the docks, a pair of White Fang soldiers sat on the roof of another warehouse. One with a pair of binoculars that was looking out for their comrades as they prepared to lift the dust, the other with a high powered sniper rifle.

"Got movement by the crates." the spotter said for the shooter when he saw a shadow darting in and around the shipping crates. "Looks like a kid, female wearing black and white. Could be a trespasser."

"She's armed." replied the shooter, eye pressed to the scope of the rifle and seeing the sword she held in hand. "And heading for Torchwick."

His partner nodded, "Take the shot when you got it." his ears perked up when he heard movement behind him. Lowering the binoculars, he turned his head to see-

Someone grabbed him, forcing his head back just before a flash a metal crossed his throat. A splash of crimson spilled down his front while a strangled gurgle emitted from both his mouth and the deep gash in his neck.

The faunus behind the rifle looked up hearing the disturbance in time to see his partner drop to the ground clutching his gushing throat, "What the fuc-" he was silenced when his head was yanked to the side before a knife blade was burrowed up through his chin and into the base of his brain.

Pulling the knife free, Adrian shook the blood from it before slipping it back into his tactical vest. Picking up the soldier's dropped rifle, he knelt down to one knee and looked down the scope to observe the situation.

He saw the White Fang thugs moving about, getting prepared to lift the dust containers. He also saw Roman Torchwick directing them.

 **"Torchwick has gotten himself some new helpers."** Paxton said, coming up to stand beside his brother. **"The White Fang must be desperate to break one of their cardinal rules about humanity."**

Adrian couldn't help but agree, bringing the rifle around, he could see Blake moving closer to where the criminal was standing unaware.

Adjusting the grip he had on the weapon, he prepared to pull the trigger should the need arise.

X

Down in the yard, Blake pressed her back to a nearby container. Narrowing her eyes as she observed Roman from her position.

"No you idiots!" he shouted at one of the grunts who was holding a tow cable. "This isn't a leash!-" before could finish, the young Faunus was behind him with the blade of her sword to his throat. "WHAT THE...? Oh for fu-"

"Nobody move!" Blake ordered as three thugs gathered around with weapons drawn.

"Whoa there!" Roman said calmly. "Take it easy, little lady."

The cat-faunus looked at her opposition sharply before reaching up and removing the bow covering her ears. "Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding this scum?" she asked them, getting one or two of the thugs to glance at one another.

A chuckle came from Roman, "Oh, kid. Didn't you get the memo?"

"What are you talking about?" Blake demanded.

"The White Fang and I are going in on a joint business venture together." he said all too smugly, only for his grin to vanish when the blade edged closer to his throat.

"Tell me what it is, or I'll put an end you your little operation." she hissed into his ear.

The sounds of multiple engines reverberated overhead drawing the attention of everyone on the ground. Roman smirked, "I wouldn't exactly call it a _little_ operation." he said as three more bullheads hovered in the air above them.

Blake looked up, realizing that she was now severely outnumbered. This caused her grip to slaken very slightly giving the criminal mastermind the moment he had been waiting for.

Aiming his cane at the ground behind him and firing an explosive flare that sent the young woman flying back from the blast.

Disoriented, Blake pulled her self up from the ground. Her eyes widening when she saw Torchwick aiming his cane at her again and firing another flare forcing her to leap out of its path. Several more followed that she had to repeatedly backflip away from to avoid being hit. Using her shadow-clone semblance to put enough distance between her and the blasts before sprinting behind a stack of crates.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty." Roman said as he began stalking after her. A banana peel landed on his head from above and he looked up in time for a heel to slam into his forehead and knock him to the ground.

Sun rolled to his feet, turning around and glaring at the criminal "Leave her alone."

The troop compartments of the airships that were still in the air opened, allowing over a dozen White Fang members to leap out and surround the the monkey-faunus on all sides.

Roman smirked as he leaned on his cane, "Not the brightest banana in the bunch, are ya kid?"

One of the soldiers went to move in with his sword...only for his head to explode in a splash of blood and grey matter.

Before anyone could overcome their shock at the sudden death, four more White Fang members fell dead in quick succession, all from precise headshots.

X

Adrian pulled the bolt back on the sniper rifle, chambering a fresh round sighting a fifth faunus and pulling the trigger. The soldier was thrown back when the powerful bullet punched through his chest, his weak armor unable to stop it as blood sprayed on the shipping container he had been standing near before falling dead to the ground.

His intervention was enough for the monkey-faunus to take on the remaining soldiers. The ex-FEAR operative readjusted his aim and centered the crosshairs over Torchwick's head, preparing to squeeze the trigger when someone shouted behind him.

"Freeze!"

Glancing over his shoulder he saw four White Fang standing there with weapons drawn.

Without hesitation, he activated his semblance. The world slowing down around him as he spun around, bringing the rifle up as he fired.

The first soldier fell dead with a hole punched through his forehead. Adrian dropped the weapon and drew both his pistols and fired them at the same time, the two faunus standing on either side of the first falling dead just as quickly as time resumed its normal pace.

Leering at the last soldier who, after having watched his comrades fall as quickly as they did, was now shaking. His weapon rattling feeblely in his hands as he aimed at Adrian.

Though, before he had a chance to shoot, his body suddenly seized. Head and arms shaking wildly for several moments before going completely still, a red haze now surrounding his form.

 **"Ha...it does feel good to have flesh and blood again. Even for a short time."** Paxton's voice came from the soldier's mouth, looking at the the hands that were temporarily his. **"Come, brother. There is more fun to be had with these so called 'terrorists'.**

Holstering his pistols, Adrian drew Shade from his back and pulled the bolt handle.

X

Despite the confusion of the deaths of five White Fang, Sun had managed to finish off the last of the thugs that had come his way, kicking one hard enough to send him hurdling through the air straight at Torchwick who ducked under the flying body. Growling, the criminal aimied his cane at the monkey-faunus and fired an explosive flare.

The blonde just grinned, twirling his staff around and deflecting the blast like a shield before standing ready to take on the mastermind.

"HE'S MINE!" Blake shouted dropping down when the smoke cleared and charging at Torchwick. Trading blows with their weapons, the young Faunus using her semblance to teleport herself around the criminal to get around his guard only to find his cane deflecting her attacks.

Going on the offensive, Torchwick managed to get through Blake's defense and strike her in the head, only for her image to fade revealing it to be a shadow clone. But the mastermind proved to have a bit more fighting experience than she had, striking her a few times with his cane and managing to knock her on her back just as Sun jumped between them, his staff now in their nunchuck form.

The monkey-faunus twirled his weapons, firing them at the same time while Roman deflected each barrel at the last moment and making the shots go wide. The movements became a blur as the two went back and forth before Blake got back to her feet and lunged. Striking the criminal in the chest and sending him rolling back across the asphalt.

Rolling back to his feet, Roman snapped his cane up and fired. The explosive projectile striking a chain that was holding another shipping crate in the air. The container falling down toward the two faunus who both jumped out of the way to avoid being flattened.

Shaking his head, Sun looked up from his kneeling position and found the barrel of Roman's cane aimed directly at his face. "Game over, kid."

"HEY!"

All eyes turned to the warehouse down from them where Ruby stepped out on to the rooftop. Spinning her scythe and stabbing it into the ground next to her.

"Oh, hello Red!" Roman called out to her. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

The cloaked girl narrowed her eyes as Penny walked up behind her. "Ruby? Are all these people your friends?"

"Penny, get back." Ruby stated turning her way, but the distraction was enough for Roman to raise his cane and fire a shot, hitting the younger girl and sending her flying back screaming as he laughed.

"RUBY!" Blake screamed seeing the girl get hit.

Adrian had just come out from between a pair of crates when he saw what had happened. His world all but stopped when he saw Ruby take the hit and was sent hurdling out of sight, his chest feeling as though it had just been hit with a sledgehammer.

The only thing that penetrated his mind in that frozen moment was Torchwick's laughter, the sound lighting a fire in the ex-FEAR operative's chest that accelerated to a raging inferno that engulfed him from the inside out. Rage and fury dominating every corner of his being.

A nearby White Fang soldier saw him and charged with his sword raised, completely unaware of what had been unleashed within Adrian. His surprise coming too late when his sword arm was grabbed in one hand, his face in another before he was violently smashed into a shipping crate repeatedly.

Neck broken, skull nearly shattered from the vicious outburst as the body was dropped to the ground like garbage. Grey eyes as hard as steel turning and burning into the very souls of the other faunus who were now looking at him with hesitation and more than a little fear.

Adrian brought Shade to bare, death and vengeance the only waking thoughts in his mind as he prepared to slaughter anyone who got in his way.

Wraith...had returned.

 **"Now that is more like the brother I know."** Paxton said from within his current vessel as he stepped out, a dark chuckle rumbling from within his borrowed throat as he brought up his own weapon.

 **"Time to play..."**

 **A/N: ...Torchwick and his White Fang cronies just crossed a very bad line. Adrian's inner killer has been unleashed, and with Paxton right there beside him, the chances of any of them surviving the duo is lower than 0. But how will everyone respond when they see the sons of Alma in action, and the amount of death they will bring upon their enemies?**

 _ **Next time: Interval 16 - The Sons of Alma**_


	17. Interval 16 - The Sons of Alma

_**A/N: And here we are folks. A lot of moments have led up to this, and it is my hope that it'll be one hell of a fight. Everyone will see the power of Alma's sons, and the sheer amount of death to follow.**_

 _ **No more interruptions, let's get this shit started.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

 **"He kept everything from us."**

 _A young Adrian Wade and Paxton Fettel laid sleeping in their beds in their isolated room. It was late at night, but that didn't stop the man the came for them every day to enter quietly. Waking up Paxton and taking him from the room._

 _Later the next day, he was returned while Adrian was now awake. Looking drowsy and in pain as he was left beside his bed._

 **"He never told us we were brothers."**

 _The man reached into his pocket and produced two toy guns, tossing one onto each bed before leaving without saying anything to either children._

 **"With every word, every test, every gift. He was raising us to be killers."**

 _The two boys ran around the room, flipping their beds and 'shooting' at one another. Spending hours having fun while playing their games._

 **"And in the end...that is what we became...but not in the way he expected..."**

X

(A/N: Play 'The Vengeful One' by Disturbed)

Adrian, fueled by his rage, raised Shade and opened fire on the White Fang soldiers. Several of them dropping to the ground dead when the rounds pierced through them.

The attack snapping the rest of the faunus into action as they attacked the ex-FEAR operative.

Activating his semblance, slowing the world around him, Adrian ran into the frey. All of his senses hyper focused as he emptied the rest of the clip in his weapon. When the rifle clicked empty, he converted it to sword-form and swung in an upward slash when the effects of his reflexes wore off.

One of the soldiers that came at him with his own sword was caught off guard by the teen's speed and couldn't defend himself as his arm was chopped off at the elbow. Screaming in shock and pain as the stump sprayed blood into the air.

Adrian silenced him by swinging downward, cutting the man in half from his left shoulder to his right hip. Dumping the spent clip at the same time before slapping a fresh one home and changing Shade back to its rifle form to start shooting again.

A couple meters away, Paxton, in his possessed body, fired the dust assault rifle in his hands into the White Fang ranks. None of the enemy faunus prepared for one of their own to turn on them lost a handful of their numbers before one of them managed to kill the 'traitor'.

The body shuddered then the bullets peppered the front. Fountains of blood exploding out of the chest as it stumbled back into a crate before slumping down to the ground unmoving.

Lowering his weapon, the White Fang soldier gasped when the red haze around his fellow faunus flared before Paxton's form rose out of it. **"Mother was right,"** he said casually, **"Life truely is wasted on the living."**

Gunfire drew his attention to the now terrified soldier as he fired on the apparition, the bullets merely passing right through him and hitting the crate behind him. Paxton grinned sadistically as he advanced on the faunus, **"You look prepared to die for your beliefs."** he reached the man, using his powers to send his weapon flying away while grabbing his throat in one hand. **"That is good, because when it comes to death,"**

The soldier, in his panic, grabbed a grenade from his vest. But the psionic grabbed his hand and held it firm. **"It is better to give,"** he continued, pulling the pin and forcing the explosive to the faunus' chest. **"Than to receive."**

A thunderous explosion echoed through the shipping yard, the two disappearing in a cloud of blood and shrapnel. A second later, Paxton stepped out into the open. His smile still present as he calmly walked to where his brother was dealing with more of the White Fang that had regrouped.

Reaching out with his powers, he picked up a nearby barrel of dust and threw it at a group of three soldiers hunkered down by a couple of crates.

Adrian saw the projectile and adjusted his aim, shooting the barrel just before it hit the ground. The following explosion sending the faunus flying in different directions.

Changing Shade back to its sword form, the ex-FEAR operative drove the blade through the stomach of a soldier that was charging him from the left. Doubling him over, Adrian rolled across his back, drawing one of his Strader's as he did so and fireing into the head of another faunus who was backing up the first.

Landing back on his feet, he drove his knee into the impaled man's face, knocking him on to his back to pull his weapon free before shooting him in the head with his sidearm.

Another large group of soldiers came running out of a nearby warehouse. Adrian wasting no time in activating his reflexes again, avoiding every bullet that was fired in his direction while returning fire with greater accuracy.

Paxton appeared at the back of the large group and possessed one of the soldiers with a sword. Going up behind the closest faunus and stabbing him in the back. Pulling the blade out, he swung left and took the head off another while slashing the throat open of a third.

The body he had taken was shot in the back of the head and fell to the ground, but the psionic couldn't care less about the vessel as he turned to the attacker. Throwing a ball of condensed aura into the soldier's chest, he could hear the man's internal organs being crushed under the force of the blast as he was thrown back.

Turning to the remaining faunus who were now attempting to shoot the apparition, Paxton's grin widened as he sent out a blast of energy that knocked them all back. Grabbing one of them with his powers, he held them in the air, clenching his hand as the faunus struggled feebily in his mental grasp as he felt pressure closing down on him on all sides.

A moment later, the soldier exploded in a shower of blood and bone.

The White Fang that had witnessed this froze in terror as Paxton turned to them with a predatory grin, **"Next?"** The faunus turned to flee in retreat, but found themselves frozen again, this time the psionic being the cause as he held them still with his powers.

Giving his brother the opening to gun them down.

X

"Whoa! Who the hell is that guy?!" Sun said wide eyed as he watched the literal slaughter of the White Fang that had them outnumbered minutes before.

Blake couldn't tear her eyes from the carnage either. Seeing so many faunus being taken down as her male team mate cut a path through them with military-like precision and without an ounce of mercy.

Some of them looked to have been attempting to flee, but didn't get too far as they were shot in the back before they got too far.

Ontop of the warehouse, Ruby was in a similar state as everyone else. Her stomach a little nausious seeing so much blood, but she couldn't look away either.

The blast from Roman's cane had only knocked the wind out of her thanks to her aura, and Penny had been there to check up on her, just incase.

The ginger haired girl was also watching the battle taking place below, her green eyes darting from side to side as she observed everything. "Ruby? Who's the one fighting with Adrian?" she asked confused.

"Huh?" asked the cloaked girl, finally taking her eyes away from the fight long enough to answer, "What do you mean?"

Penny pointed down at a White Fang soldier that was attacking their comrades, after about a minute, the body of the man seemed to dissolve into red aura and ashes revealing the one that had been controlling the faunus.

 _"Paxton?!"_ Ruby thought in shock, seeing the apparition hold out his hand, his powers reaching out and ensnaring another soldier and lifting them into the air. Adrian aiming his weapon at the levitating faunus and pumping several rounds into them before his brother threw the body aside.

"He's...uh...it's hard to explain, Penny." the young leader did her best to explain without giving too much away.

"Is it part of the 'complicated' thing you were talking about earlier?" asked Penny, tilting her head to the side.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, it is." she sighed in relief when the other girl seemed to drop the matter. Both of them perking up when they saw two of the bullheads that had dropped troops off coming in low, the mounted chainguns on the front of both ships roaring to life and peppering the ground below in a straight line toward the two brothers.

"ADRIAN LOOK OUT!" Ruby screamed down at her boyfriend.

"I got this!" Penny exclaimed. The tiny backpack she had on opened allowing an array of small swords to come floating out and form a spinning circle infront of her. The weapons converting their shape and started spinning slower.

In the center of the circle, a orb of green energy started to gather. When it reached critical, Penny cocked her arms back then punched them forward, a powerful beam shooting forth and slicing the airships in half. The pieces flying overhead out of control and crashing into the ocean out of sight.

Ruby could only stare gobsmacked at what had just happened while her new friends floating weapons slipped back into their compartment. "Whoa...how did you do that?" she asked in awe.

Penny smiled widely at her, "I'm combat ready!"

X

Looking up at the warning that had been called out, Adrian saw the incoming barrage and dove behind a shipping crate. The loud pinging of the heavily slugs peppering the dense metal rang out loudly as he pulled the spent clip from Shade and slapped in a new one.

Seconds later, he saw a beam of green energy lance through the air and slice the ships in half. Effectively taking them down and leaving the skies clear.

 **"Torchwick is planning on escaping."** Paxton said, having witnessed the spectical himself while pointing to where a the third bullhead touching down on the otherside of the docks. The criminal mastermind running toward intending on a quick getaway. **"If you wish to deal with him you better get moving."**

Both brothers could hear the thrusters of a fourth bullhead rising into the air with a shipping crate of dust attached to its underbelly. The ship turning about with its guns powering up intending on attacking them. **"I will deal with the vultures above. Make sure that coward does not escape"**

The apparition disappeard in a burst of aura while the older of the two weaved in an around the shipping crates to avoid taking incoming bullets.

In the cockpit of one of the bullheads, the two White Fang soldier in the pilot seat brought the ship around, intending on raining more lead down on the kids that interferred with their heist. The co-pilot bringing the guns to bare, preparing to fire when his body suddenly seized and shivered a bit.

"Hey, you okay?" asked the pilot, seeing his partner acting strange.

The other faunus sat slumped a moment before nodding silently...before drawing his sidearm and putting a bullet into the side of the pilot's head. Splattering blood and grey matter on the window beside him.

The possessed soldier grabbed the controls of the bullhead and shoved them forward, sending the craft pitching downward. Paxton vacating his current host seconds before it slammed into the ground, the engine going up igniting the dust in the container causing a massive explosion that leveled half a warehouse in the process.

Back on the ground, Roman was running as quickly as his legs could carry him, gritting his teeth in anger and frusteration.

The whole operation had gone to hell and there was no hope to salvage it. "Damn these fucking kids! She's going to pissed as all hell." he muttered to himself as the troop compartment of the bullhead ahead of him opened. Two White Fang soldiers coming out with weapons ready-

Only for them both to be cut down with precise headshots.

Spinning around, raising his cane, Roman went to fire an explosive round when the butt of a rifle slammed into his face. Staggering him and leaving him unprepared when a bullet was punched through his leg

Dropping to the ground shouting in pain, the criminal went to aim his weapon again only for it to be kicked out of his hand and a boot heel to break his nose, knocking him back down.

Adrian glared down at Roman, converting Shade into sword form and stabbing down, piercing through the man's shoulder and pinning him to the concrete below. Drawing one of his Straders, he cocked the hammer back and aimed it right between his eyes.

"Whoa...hey," the criminal coughed and wheezed through the pain, blood dripping down from his broken nose as he held his only moveable hand up in surrender, "You...You got me. No need to be too dramatic here. Maybe we can work something out-"

The ex-FEAR operative fired twice, both rounds purposely off target and taking the man's ear off.

Roman screamed again, free hand pressing to the side of his head, doing his best to deal with the pain before the sidearm's barrel was pressed to his forehead again. It was then the criminal realized that there was no way out of this one, the damn faunus that were supposed to help him were either dead or knocking on death's door and he was completely at the mercy of the one that put them there.

And from the damning look in his eyes and the way his finger tensed on the trigger of the gun, Roman knew that his life was literally a hair's length away from ending. This was no ordinary kid...this was a damn killer.

"Adrian! Stop!"

Adrian paused, finger still tense on the trigger preparing to fire when he looked back to see Ruby, Penny, Sun and Blake all standing there. The two faunus tense at the scene before them, the ginger haired girl looking on curiously while Ruby approached him slowly.

"The fight's over. The White Fang are all down and the police are coming." her words were proven when they all could hear sirens in the distance drawing closer. "You don't have to kill him, he's lost."

The ex-FEAR operative remained where he was, still very much preparing to end Roman completely while still in his 'combat-state of mind'. But the sound of her voice vibrated in his soul, making him pause before he could finish the job.

Ruby now stood a foot away from the angry soldier, reaching out, she put a hand on his cheek. "I know that you're angry at him for shooting me, but I'm okay, my aura took most of the hit. If you kill him, we may not be able to figure out what the White Fang are up to." she leaned in closer so that only the two of them could hear;

"You're not the cold blooded killer Armacham wanted you to be, what Harlan wanted you to be. I know you, so please, just stop, okay?"

For several long beats nothing happened, grey and silver eyes locked on one another while the world around them was drowned out. Then slowly, Adrian pulled his sidearm away from Roman's head. Slipping it back into its holster before yanking Shade from the man's shoulder.

The criminal grunted feebly when the blade came free, but did nothing to get up as the soldier converted the weapon back to rifle-form and slid it onto his back.

Then, without warning, Adrian pulled Ruby into a hug, face burrowed into her short hair and breathing in the scent of roses deeply. The pain he had felt when she was hit with the explosive round fading instantly now that he had her in his arms and could see for himself that she was alright.

He didn't know when it had happened exactly, but he had become almost dependant on her presence. She was like a strong beacon of light that cut through the darkness he had been immersed in his whole life, showing him that life had meaning to it. Her touch, her smell, everything about the girl in the red cloak made him feel whole, even when they were almost polar opposites.

One born of darkness and fear, the other of light and happiness. One trained to be a killer, the other raised to be a heroine.

A biological failure...and an up and coming huntress. They couldn't have been more different, and yet perfect for one another.

Stepping back to arms length, Adrian smiled down at the girl he was holding. Ruby smiled back, "Let's go home." she said softly.

The moment was shattered when a blast of blue light exploded from a nearby crate, everyone standing close covered their eyes briefly from the sudden brightness before looking to see what was the cause.

That's when they saw something literally walking out of the shipping container through a small portal that opened up in the side of it. Humanoid in shape, towering at over eight feet tall in a seat of heavy, dark-blue power armor. A light blue energy covered the being's frame like a barrier as the portal behind them closed and they looked at the stunned teens around them.

Adrian drew Shade on instinct and opened fire, the bullets being stopped and absorbed when the energy surrounding the armored man flared brighter. A heavy boot launched upward and kicked the ex-FEAR operative in the chest, sending him flying back and landing hard.

"Adrian!" Ruby shouted, glaring at the large soldier and drew Crescent Rose, swinging the large weapon around to cut the man down...

The blade hit home...but was deflected by the barrier that surrounded the power armor. The sudden change in direction threw Ruby off balance and gave the soldier the opening to attack. Backhanding her hard, sending her through the air and crashing into Adrian who had been getting back up.

Blake attacked, seeing her friends being taken down driving her with Sun backing her up. The larger opponent saw them coming and just stood there as the closed the distance.

When they reached him, his hand snapped out and grabbed Sun's tail. Swinging him around and slamming him into Blake, sending both faunus slamming into the side of a nearby crate.

Penny, after seeing her new friends go down, narrowed her eyes and summoned her swords to attack. But the armored soldier was a step ahead, pulling a grenade from his belt and tossing it at her feet.

Instead of exploding, the device emitted a pulse of electricity shot from it and struck the girl. Her body shook violently, eyes flickering before collapsing to the ground unmoving.

With them out of the way, the armored soldier reached down and grabbed Roman by the front of his jacket, hoisting him up and summoning another portal. Adrian and Ruby had gotten up in time to see this and fired at the escaping duo, rounds deflecting off the power armor's shield as both the soldier and the criminal stepped through the portal and disappeared.

Silence befell the shipping yard, save for the quickly approaching sirens. Everyone got back to their feet, even Penny who looked no worse for ware, as they looked at one another wondering what the hell had just happened.

X

The police had arrived minutes later, sealing off the area and rounding up any White Fang grunts that were still alive while CSIs took account of the deceased. A medical crew had also been dispatched to help the injured while the officers took statements of the events that had occurred.

Save for some aura exhaustion and a few scrapes and bruises everyone was alright. Though Blake looked to be avoiding Adrian as much as she could, having witnessing everything she had seen him do.

Through the police line, Yang and Weiss approached. Having gotten the call from Ruby telling them where they were and that they had found Blake. Of course, they weren't expecting to see the docks resemble a battle scarred warzone.

Weiss however managed to school her features and made her way directly toward Blake. Ruby got up to head her off, trying to explain the situation and avoid another conflict but the heiress just brushed her off until she was standing before the ex-White Fang member.

"Weiss," Blake said somberly, "I just want you to know that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. And back-"

"Stop." the white haired girl said cutting her off. "Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you? 12 hours. That means I've had 12 hours to think about this. And in that 12 hours I've decided..."

Everyone looked on with baited breath, waiting for the outcome and preparing for the worst.

Weiss sighed, "I don't care." she said shocking all of them.

"You don't care?" asked Blake wanting to be sure that she heard right.

"You said your not one of them any more, right?" asked the heiress, holding up her hand and stopping the Faunus before she could try to explain, "I don't wanna hear it. All I want to know, is that the next time that something this big comes up you come to your team mates. And not...someone else." she said looking over at Sun.

Blake wiped a tear away and nodded, "Of course."

"Yeah! Team RWBY-A is back together!" Ruby shouted in elation, hugging Adrian's arm tightly to her chest.

Weiss then pointed her finger in Sun's face, "I'm still not sure what to think of you." she said making the monkey-faunus chuckle sheepishly.

When the excitement of the team being reunited, Ruby looked around and noticed that someone was missing "Hey, where did Penny go?" she asked looking around for the girl.

"Excuse me?" the team of five looked to the detective that approached them, "Sorry, but we need a few more statements from all of you down at the station. We need to finish piecing together what when on here tonight."

Seeing as they had no other way around this, RWBY-A followed the detective and got a ride to the police station. While most of them were wondering what would happen when they got back to Beacon, Adrian had his mind on other things.

The main one being the man in power armor that took Roman. He had never seen armor like that before, but he did recognize the symbol that had been etched on the shoulder plate before the man had vanished into the portal with the criminal;

Three diamonds in the shape of an arrow pointing upward, and there was only one group that used that symbol that he knew all too well...

Armacham.

 _ **A/N: Looks like the brothers' past has come back in more ways than one. But what could Armacham's presence mean for the plot, and how would it affect things to come?**_

 _ **Reviews always welcome, and the update will be coming soon.**_


	18. Interval 17 - Aftermath

**A/N: Volume 1 is just about over. In fact, there will be only one more installment before I put it to bed and begin work on Volume 2.**

 **After the events of the previous chapter, I started working on another story a bit before coming back. Needed a chance to reboot a bit before getting right to it again. But now I can't wait to finally finish it off. So for now, let's get right back to it.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

In an undisclosed location, Cinder Fall and her two enforcers, a green haired, dark skinned girl named Emerald and a grey haired male name Mercury, stood in a wide room looking for any sign of a familiar red-headed master criminal that was in their employment.

"Where the hell is he?!" Emerald snapped, arms crossed as she paced back and forth.

"The firefight at the docks is all over the police scanners, maybe we got lucky and he was shot in the head." offered Mercury as she sat on a nearby table lazily.

"I don't think we're that lucky." the green-haired thief muttered.

"Quiet." Cinder's calm, hard voice cut through their conversation. Silencing both of her followers as she continued to look down at her scroll. All of her messages and calls having gone unanswered and she was very quickly losing her patients with the criminal she had brought into her fold.

She knew that he wasn't dead, several of her contacts told her about what had happened at the docks. And despite his infuriating habits, Roman was intelligent and knew how to get out of a bad situation. And he knew better than to keep her waiting when she demanded updates.

Which meant that something happened to him.

Cinder's scroll lit up with an incoming call, the ID reading one of Roman's burn numbers. "Roman, you better have a good excuse for not being here." she said into the device sharply.

There was silence on the other line for a few seconds before someone spoke...someone that wasn't Roman;

 _"I'm sorry, but your friend Roman Torchwick can't come to the phone right now."_ a woman's voice said calm and cooly.

"Who is this? Where is Roman?" Cinder demanded.

 _"Don't worry, he should be arriving right about-"_

A burst of energy lit up the room of the warehouse the trio were meeting in, all of them preparing for a fight as a large man in power armor stepped out of a rift that had been opened in the wall.

Dragging along side him was Roman Torchwick, looking as though he had received medical treatment after having crawled off a battlefield.

"Hey! Easy ya tin can! This suit's been through enough!" the criminal bellowed as he was dropped on his feet, staggering a bit thanks to his wounded leg as he attempted to adjust his torn and blood soaked suit.

The man in power armor growled in frusteration at the man's mouth, but stood firm as if waiting for orders.

 _"He was moments away from either death or capture, my Phase Commander prevented either or from happening."_ the unknown woman said over the open line. _"As for your earlier question, who I am is someone with a lot of information and resources that could prove very helpful to someone in your position."_

Looking over the 'Phase Commander' with calculating eyes, Cinder turned her attention back to her scroll. "What makes you think that you hold any rights to make deals with me and mine?"

"Uhh, Cinder?" the raven-haired woman turned to Mercury to reprimand him, but her words died in her throat when she saw him, Emerald and Roman with three red dots locked onto them. Two over their hearts, one on their heads.

Looking down, she saw three more lasers locked onto her as well...but after checking the surrounding buildings outside the open doorways and windows she couldn't see where the shooters were located.

 _"I believe your question is answered."_ said the woman through the scroll. _"You have been a busy woman, Cinder Fall. And you've gathered an impressive amount of help and resources for your cause, but you lack proper forces to get the job done. I can help you with that."_

Cinder was curious, whoever this woman was knew more than she should, and if she could get the drop on her and her people so quickly she had what it took to back up her words. Perhaps they could come to some kind of agreement.

"You have my attention. What do you propose?"

 _"A meeting, just the two of us at a time and location of my choosing. We can work out the details then."_ the lasers locked onto the four criminals all vanished, the Phase Commander approached the same wall he had came through before and opened another portal, making his own exit. _"Until we meet, Ms. Fall."_ the call ended leaving a tense silence behind.

Mercury ran a hand through his hair, "Ooookay...just what the fuck was that?"

Cinder didn't answer, simply staring down at her scroll curiously as it pinged with a new message. A date, time and coordinates appearing that she logged to memory.

All the while, she wondered what would come of this so called proposition that she was being offered.

X

It was after one in the morning by the time a very tired team RWBY-A returned to Beacon. After giving the Vale police everything they needed they were free to go, of course they contacted Professor Ozpin before hand.

When the bullhead touched down at the academy, the headmaster and a very angry Professor Goodwitch was waiting for them. With assured promises that everything would be talked about the next day, the five friends were sent to their dorm after dropping their weapons and gear off in their lockers.

Getting ready for bed quickly and in silence, everyone got into their beds and turned in. The girls were out in no time, the events of the evening having taken their toll on all of them, but for Adrian, rest would not come to him.

The whole firefight at the docks kept playing over and over in his head, all leading up to the encounter with the unknown man in power armor that vanished with Torchwick. The same man having the insignia for Armacham displayed on said armor.

Why were they in Vale? Did they manage to track him down after all this time? He couldn't find any of the answers and it was driving him mad.

Knowing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep at the moment, Adrian got up and ran a hand through his dark hair. Dressed only in his cargo pants, he walked with silent steps to the door and slipped out into the hallway. Intending on getting fresh air and try and clear his thoughts.

When the door clicked closed, a pair of silver eyes opened and peered out through the canopy around the rope-hung bed.

X

The cool breeze accompanying the night air was welcome on the ex-FEAR operative's heated skin as he stepped out through the door leading to the roof of the dorms. The door having been replaced after he had kicked it down some time ago.

Approaching the ledge, Adrian sat down with his feet dangling over the edge as he stared off into the distance.

 **"All things considered, I believe it's been quite the eventful evening."** Paxton's voice came from beside him. The younger of the two brothers having appeared sitting on the same ledge. **"Though, it would have reached a better climax had you simply executed that worm Torchwick."**

When he didn't get anything in return, the psionic continued speaking. **"We both knew it was only a matter of time before Armacham came here looking. The fact that one of their own saved Torchwick is something to be considered for another time, right now, the real question is what you plan to do now?"**

Adrian sent him a sideways glance, wondering about what his little brother meant.

 **"Are you going to keep running, brother?"** asked Paxton, **"Or will you fight? You know how they are, their methods. They will not stop until you are dead or in their custody, and they will go through those friends of yours to achieve either goals."**

The apparition's words rang true. If Armacham was in Vale, and they knew that he was going to Beacon, they would stop at nothing to take him down. And they weren't beyond hurting those that had had gotten close to over the last few months to make that happen.

He couldn't walk away from this, not after everything he had been through since coming to Vale, to Beacon, meeting the others that had become his friends...meeting Ruby.

Fists clenching, jaw set and eyes turning cold, Adrian made his decision. No more running, no more hiding, if his past was coming back he was going to face it head on...and put a bullet in its head.

Paxton smirked, hearing the answer in his brother's thoughts. **"I guess having something more to lose has given you a stronger will to face your past. Whatever works in the end. But you cannot do it alone. When those monsters face their death, it will be the two of us they see last before embracing it."** the psionic turned his attention behind them toward the door, **"It seems you have company. I will leave you be for now, brother."**

Fading away in a mist of red, another voice spoke out from behind the soldier.

"Adrian?"

He turned his head and saw Ruby standing in the threshold of the stairwell, her red cloak worn over her usual bedtime attire to stave off the light chill in the air. "Are you okay?"

[I'm fine, Ruby.] he signed back, [Couldn't sleep, too much to think about.]

"What happened at the docks?" she asked, mostly hitting the nail on the head. Adrian nodded as she came up and saw down next to him. "Talk to me. What's on your mind?"

The soldier started signing again. [The one in power armor, the one that took Torchwick, he had Armacham's insignia on his shoulder plate.] the news caused Ruby's eyes to widen.

"A-Are you sure?" she asked in shock.

Adrian nodded, [Positive. Save for the Schnee Dust Company, or the Atlas military, no one else on Remnant has the technology capable of making armor that functions like that. Which means the ATC are here in Vale.]

Taking a moment to let everything sink in, Ruby thought of something. "Wait, if they are here, why would that take Torchwick?"

[I can't be sure. But there's only one reason why they would come all the way out here.] the ex-FEAR operative turned his head to look at her, [Me. They have no way of tracking down Paxton or our mother given they they aren't really alive anymore. I'm the only connection to either of them that can be used in some way.]

"They won't get to you." the cloaked girl said strongly, "Our friends, even Ozpin and the other teachers, can help. Armacham won't get their hands on you again. We just..." she trailed off when Adrian shook his head.

[This is my fight, Ruby. I can't drag you or the others into this. Armacham has killed countless innocent people to keep their dirty secrets in the dark. They sent their attack dogs after me and the rest of FEAR when we got too close to discovering the truth. Now that they know I'm Alma's son, the 'first prototype', they'll stop at nothing to take me in or take me down. I won't put you and everyone else in harms way because of my past.]

Things were silent for a while. Then Ruby leaned forward into him, tucking her head under his chin while her arms wrapped around his middle.

"You don't have to do this by yourself." she said into the skin of his neck. "It may be your fight, but that doesn't mean that we can't help you. You don't have to fight alone anymore."

Adrian put his arms around her, Ruby may have been right in saying that he didn't have to fight alone anymore, but that didn't mean that he was going to put her and the other's on Armacham's radar if he could help it.

The ATC had taken more than enough from him, and he'd be damned if they took away those he had come to care for here at Beacon. He would make sure they burned to the ground before that ever happened.

He felt the girl in his arms shift a little, her head coming back just enough so that they could look at one another before she leaned up and kissed him. An action that was reciprocated as their lips moved slowly and gently together.

When they separated, Ruby smiled warmly as she brushed her nose against Adrian's a couple times. "I...I love you, Adrian." she all but whispered, her silver eyes looking to the side with her cheeks darkening at the admission. "It may be really soon to be saying something like that, but I've felt this way for a long time. Ever since we first kissed, I somehow just knew that you're the only one for me. It's weird, a good kind of weird..."

She looked back up at the ex-FEAR operative, fear of rejection and heart break shining brightly in her gaze.

Adrian stroked a hand over the side of her face, brushing her dark, red tipped locks behind her left ear before taking his hand back and signing to her. [I've never experienced love before in my life. But if it is anything like the way I feel when we're together, then I believe that I love you too, Ruby.]

The cloaked girl nearly squealed in joy as she tackled the soldier off the ledge onto the roof, her movement so quick that a few rose petals scattered around them as she snuggled into his body. Her cloak spread out like a blanket covering them both.

Adrian brought his arms up around her again, feeling the warmth coming off her skin as he held her close with a soft smile spreading on his own face. The comfortable silence their only companion as the shattered moon shined bright above them.

Some time later, just as he started to feel the hands of sleep started to reach out to take him, he could hear Ruby snoring softly from ontop of his chest. Knowing full well that sleeping on the roof outside wasn't ideal for either fo them, the ex-FEAR operative sat up slowly as to not wake the cloaked girl that was clinging to him.

Getting to his feet, after having adjusted Ruby so that he was holding her in a bridal carry with her arms around his neck, Adrian headed down the stairwell and back to their dorm. Slipping back inside without waking the other three girls.

That's when he was faced with a problem. There was no way for him to get Ruby up into her bed without waking her or any of the others.

With a shrug, Adrian went to his bed, attempting to lay Ruby down with the intention on taking the floor. But no matter what he did, the young leader wouldn't loosen her grip on him. If anything, her arms tightened around his neck and a moan of protest.

No other answers in sight, the soldier decided to go for broke and laid down on his bed with Ruby in his arms. Laying her down beside him where she quickly readjusted her self so that she was snuggled tight and comfortable to his side. A small smile stretching on her sweet, innocent face while she dreamed.

Unable to help his own smile from spreading, Adrian leaned down and kissed her forehead before settling his head back and closing his eyes. Whatever the future would bring could wait, for now, rest was very needed.

He fell asleep quickly, and that night there were no nightmares or memories that plagued him. Only dreams of beautiful silver eyes and the smell of roses bringing him peace.

X

The next day, when classes were all done, RWBY-A was summoned to the headmaster's office to explain the events of the past weekend.

They went in turns, each member of their team giving their own accounts of what had happened, all leading up to the incident at the docks that resulted in thousands of lien in property damage and the deaths of over three dozen members of the White Fang.

All of them would be facing detention, though for how long really depended on Ozpin and Goodwitch after they heard everything and made their decision.

When they were all done, the whole team was asked to go into the office together. Standing infront of the headmaster's desk, the four girls were tense, but Adrian was calm as stone as they all waited for judgement.

Glynda was leering at them in disappointment and anger at the whole situation, but Ozpin had the same demeanor he always had, giving nothing away to all in attendence.

"What happened at the docks last night is a rather large cause for concern." he said in his usual calm demeanor, "Although I am very glad all of you are okay, there is the matter of punishment. After all, several rules were broken-"

"Being out long past curfew, causing a disturbance, the list only goes on from there." Professor Goodwitch interrupted.

"Regardless," Ozpin said, unhindered by the huntress stepping in, "Even though you went against the rules set out, I am also proud that you did a service for the people of Vale. Although the death toll was rather...high."

All eyes trailed to Adrian who didn't look the least bit regretful of his actions as the headmaster continued, "The situation in the end was resolved, and no innocent lives were lost. So some leniency will be shown."

There was a pause as he took a deep breath. "Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, since you only broke curfew you will be let off with warnings." the heiress breathed out in relief at having her school record unmarked. "Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna, and Adrian Wade. You will each serve one weeks detention, all of which will be monitored by Professor Goodwitch."

The team looked surprised at the sentence, Glynda didn't look too happy about the outcome but didn't say nothing as the headmaster continued. "Even though you took your future profession as hunters into account, should something like this happen again you need to consider the overall outcome and not go in on your own. Things could have gone a lot worse for all involved."

Blake cast her eyes to the floor in regret for putting the others into that position in the first place. In her crusade to prove the White Fang had no involvment in the recent dust robberies, she not only discovered what she had already known was the truth, but she almost got her friends killed.

And even though she wasn't happy that Adrian had killed so many faunus, had he not interveined when he did none of them would have made it out of there with their lives. Although she was still hesitant around the only male in their team having seen him fight the way he had.

"I want you all to think on this, and learn from it." Ozpin said, leaning back in his seat. "You may go, but I wish to speak with Ms. Rose and Mr. Wade alone."

The others cast the couple concerned looks as they filed out. Ruby looked nervous, subtly reaching out and taking Adrian's hand as she waited for the professors to speak.

"First and foremost, you both did very well in helping your friend and team mate in her time of need." said the headmaster, "I did not think that Ms. Belladonna would take such a chance given her previous ties, but I suppose curiosity got the best of her."

His statement surprised the two students before him, "You...You know about Blake's past?" asked Ruby.

Ozpin nodded, a half smile on his face. "We do rather, detailed background checks on all of our students before they attend Beacon. Ms. Belladonna's past with the White Fang were a cause for concern at first, but I had full faith that she had cut all ties in her quest to find her own path. And it would appear that my faith was well placed in the end."

[As good as it is to hear that Blake's is accepted, despite the organization she was once in, why did you want to see us?] signed Adrian.

The headmaster brought up a holoscreen above his desk, "I wanted to speak with you on two important subjects. The first is this;" the screen showed playback footage taken from a security camera in the dorm hallway outside of team RWBY-A's room.

The footage showed Ruby and Adrian returning from what had been considered their 'first date', the two of them talking for a bit before they kissed.

Ruby's face turned as red as her cloak, Adrian however looked irritated that their private moment had been recorded. Though he new about the security camera's around the academy to help with security, it didn't make him any less pissed about the violation.

His anger faded quickly, along with Ruby's embarissment, when during the kiss their auras blazed to life. Seeming to take a mind of their own and intertwine, the essence of their very souls nearly forming a cacoon around them for several seconds before receeding back into their bodies just before the kiss ended.

There was a long silence that filled the office, the two students and the two professors looking at the screen, both sides trying to figure out what exactly they had just seen.

"Were either of you aware of this anomaly after your private moment?" asked Ozpin.

Ruby shook her head, "No...Netiher of us were."

"Do either of you feel any differently afterward?" questioned the headmaster again, "Perhaps finding a deeper connection to one another that may or may not have already been there?"

[Yes.] Adrian signed, [I've always felt a strong urge to protect Ruby, but after that day it became more like an instinct.] The incident at the docks had been a very large example to that when he saw Torchwick attacking the cloaked girl.

Ozpin took in their answers before smiling at them, "It has indeed been a long time since I have witnessed such an event. Have either of you heard of soulbonds?"

Ruby looked at Adrian who looked back just as confused. "Noooo...why? What are they?"

"Something incredibly rare, infact, there have only been about a dozen or so such incidents ever recorded." explained the headmaster. "It was once said to be an old myth. One that told of a young couple, who's love was so strong that their very souls themselves were forever linked to their dying days and beyond."

He motioned to the screen, that had been rewinded back to where the couples' aura was coiling around one another. "I believe that this is what we are seeing here. The emotions you felt for one another was so strong that your auras reacted to it, reaching out to each other and forming a bond between your souls. Thusly, creating a soulbond."

[What does it mean?] asked Adrian, Ruby still holding his hand that he squeezed gently in comfort.

Ozpin tapped his chin in thought, "In all honesty, I cannot be a hundred percent sure given the rarity of the event. But from what I do know, this only happens when two souls are truely meant for each other. Ms. Rose, Mr. Wade, what you two have is something that transcends simple courtship. Cherish it."

Ruby's heart was thudding loudly inside her chest. She'd always had a bit of an innocent belief in fairy tales of various kinds, all of which going back to the old stories her mother used to tell her when she was little. To know that she and Adrian was bonded to each other in such a way, it felt magical as it did unbelieveable.

Sending a look at the soldier beside her, she saw him slowly digesting the information before looking back at her again. He had to admit to himself that what the headmaster said sounded a little too strange, but Adrian had been living a life far beyond strange up to this point. And if did answer seveal questions he'd been wondering about since he and Ruby had started getting closer.

Maybe certain things just weren't meant to be understood, and simply enjoyed.

Sending a smile at the cloaked girl that was quickly matched by one of her own. Ozpin and Glynda couldn't help but feel happy for the young couple, the warmth that surrounded the two of them almost infectious.

As much as he didn't want to spoil the moment for them, Ozpin still had an important matter to bring up. "You're unique relationship aside, there is still another matter to be discussed." he said bringing everything back into focus. "As I have said, we perform extensive background checks on all new students. However, there doesn't seem to be anything on you, Mr. Wade."

Adrian remained calm, features schooled but Ruby looked nervous. "In essence, you do not exist." the headmaster continued, steepling his hands together and resting his chin upon them. "I did a bit more digging, and found that your profile matches that of someone who had once been a member of the Atlatian military, who had been labled KIA almost a year ago. Someone that went by the name 'Wraith'."

Ozpin's calculating gaze locked with that of the ex-FEAR operative before him. "When this information came to light, I contacted a friend of mine in Atlas. General Ironwood. He confirmed that Wraith had been indeed considered dead, even though a body was never recovered. However, he personally believed that Wraith was still alive, but had no proof to say otherwise."

Knowing that the headmaster was subtly telling him that he knew the truth, Adrian just nodded and signed, [I was once called Wraith. But it was something I gave up because of the events of the mission I supposedly 'died' during.]

"The Fairport incident." said Ozpin, making Glynda look at him stunned. Many huntresses and huntsmen had heard about the incident, it was quickly becoming one of the biggest disasters in any of the kingdoms. "The information from the incident have been vague at best, and the Atlatian chain of command have been doing everything they can to find anything about what happened."

[They won't find anything.] Adrian signed, [The ones responsible have covered their tracks well and will plead deniability of any wrongdoing.]

"Who was responsible?" asked Professor Goodwitch.

[The Armacham Corporation.] the soldier motioned, causing both professors to perk up at the name.

"Perhaps you'd be willing to tell us the whole story." said the headmaster, "I can assure you, that you can trust Ms. Goodwitch and myself, we only wish to understand. Especially when one of our students is involved."

Taking a few moments to gauge whether or not to devulge everything the full extent of the Fairport mission to Ozpin, Adrian remembered the soldier in power armor baring Armacham's symbol.

If the ATC really are in Vale, then Beacon could very well become a target. He couldn't leave the academy unprepared should his enemies decided to come looking for him.

Feeling Ruby squeeze his hand in reassurance again, the two of them sat down infront of the headmaster's desk as the former FEAR operative began his tale of the Fairport mission, and the discoveries he had made that changed his life forever.

 **A/N: New revelations, and Adrian's past has come back in a big way. But how will this set things up as the first son of Alma gets more and more involved with the events to come?**

 **Review and I'll have the epilogue up before you know it.**


	19. Interval 18 - Epilogue

**A/N: Bet you all weren't expecting the end to come so soon, huh? Well that's a common thing for a lot of stories I'm afraid, I'm personally just really anxious to get started on Volume 2.**

 **This last chapter is the shortest thus far, but the content alone will more than make up for it. I intend on ending this first arc of the series in style.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Adrian looked at the comfortable two story house set in the middle of the small forest. He couldn't explain it, but standing outside the home made him feel unusually tense.

Perhaps it was because of the one that lived there, who was also the one who was related to the one he had grown close to over the last six months.

"Relax, Adrian." Yang said, coming up behind him and clapping him on the shoulder. "Dad's usually pretty cool. He may not even hurt you that bad." she sent him a wide grin as she walked ahead toward the house.

Ruby came up beside the soldier and shook her head at her sister, "Ignore her. I sent a lot of letters to dad and told him about you in most of them. He just wanted to meet you, nothing's going to happen."

Even though her words were meant to be comforting, Adrian could tell that some small part of her was unsure about how her father would react to meeting his youngest daughter's boyfriend.

Taking each other's hands, the young couple made their way after Yang.

It had been a week since the end of the semester at Beacon, it had also been a week since Adrian had told Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch about his past.

FEAR's mission to Fairport to stop Paxton and the Replica army, only to discover that the psionic mad man was his own brother. He also told them everything he had discovered about Project: Origin, what he had his brother had been put through, and what Armacham and Harlan Wade had done to their mother Alma.

Both professors were appaled at what they had been told, and the lengths the people of the ATC would go to do keep their secrets. Having destroyed the Origin facility, and over a third of a thriving city, doing just that.

Needless to say, Adrian left Ozpin with a lot to think about as he sent them on their way. Even more so when he informed him about the man in power armor that had taken Torchwick at the end of the fight at the docks. For now, the only thing they could do was wait and see how things turned out.

As for the situation at hand, when the semester came to an end more students started arriving from the other kingdoms in preparation of the Vytal festival, and with classes over for the time being everyone was just spending their time either training or going home to visit family.

Two such students were Yang and Ruby. Blake and Weiss both opted to stay at Beacon, but the two sisters wanted to head back to Patch and spend a weekend with their father after having been away for so long.

When everyone else was told, Ruby wasted no time in giving an invitation to Adrian to join them with the intention of introducing him to her dad. Not seeing the issue with it since he had nothing going on during the break between semesters, he accepted.

Now here he was. After a brief introduction to the peaceful community, Ruby and Yang led him to their home which was in a more quiet part of the forest that covered the island. It even seemed to have an inviting atmosphere surrounding it to anyone who got close.

Just as the trio reached the front porch, the door opened to reveal what could have been considered an older, male version of Yang. Blonde hair cut short to his scalp with a rugged appearence that was overshadowed by the beaming smile he gave when he saw his daughters approaching.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite girls!" he exclaimed jovally.

"Dad!" Ruby and Yang called out at the same time as they ran up and tackled the man to the ground with tight hugs.

Taiyang laughed as he embraced his girls back with equal enthusiasm. "How was the travel, girls?" he asked as they all got back up.

"Boring. But it's worth it to be home again." said Yang, sending a look over her shoulder at their guest briefly, "Hope you don't mind, but Ruby brought a 'friend' with us."

The older blonde shifted his gaze to Adrian who had remained where he was as to not get in the way of the family moment. Despite his happy demeanor, the ex-FEAR operative could see a subtle shift in the man's eyes. An aura of protectiveness coming forth as he looked at the one dating his youngest child.

"Dad, this is Adrian." Ruby introduced the two with a bright smile.

Taiyang reached his hand out, "Taiyang Xiao Long, it's nice to finally meet you. Ruby talks about you a lot."

[Adrian Wade. Likewise, sir.] Adrian signed back after they shook hands.

An awkward silence filled the air, Yang and Ruby looked between their father and friend/boyfriend as if waiting for something to happen. Though the feeling was broken by excited barking, a moment later a small black and white corgi came bounding out of the house.

"Zwei!" Ruby shouted happily as she dropped to her knees and swept up the small dog in her arms who then started licking her face. Her older sister coming over and scratching the animal behind the ears with no less joy.

After the tender moment, the cloaked girl let Zwei down. The corgi noticing Adrian a couple feet away and trotted leasurly over to him, sniffing at his boots for a moment before jumping up and putting his front paws on the soldier's legs.

Hesitant at first, Adrian reached down and pet the dog gently on the head between his ears. The warm and soft fur foreign beneath his fingers, but not unpleasant.

Zwei yipped happily, tilting his head into the ex-FEAR operative's hand with his tongue hanging out. After about a minute, the dog dropped back down to all fours and went back over to the girls.

"Why don't you two head in and get settled, let us boys have a little chat." Taiyang said to his daughters.

"Dad..." Ruby warned him, looking between her father and Adrian again.

The blonde man smiled at her, "Everything will be fine, Ruby. I promise."

There was brief hesitation, but both Ruby and Yang eventually nodded and headed inside. Zwei trotting along behind them leaving the two males alone outside.

"Do you love my daughter?" Taiyang asked, his face becoming serious with his arms crossed over his chest.

[I do.] Adrian signed back, just as serious.

"Would you do anything to keep her happy?" asked the man again.

[I'd kill for her if it would keep her safe.] replied the soldier, Taiyang having no idea that the teen had done just that not too long ago as proof of the testament.

There was a long pause before the blonde man smiled, knowing that the younger man meant every word. "Good, I can tell that your a good one. And if all the letters Ruby sent me telling about you are anything to go by, I know that you make her very happy. Just remember, if you break her heart, Yang won't be the only one gunning for you."

Adrian smiled back, [You have nothing to worry about, sir.]

"Enough of the sir stuff, call me Tai." Taiyang said, clapping the ex-FEAR operative on the shoulder before leading them both inside. "Welcome to the family."

The soldier couldn't help the warm feeling that came with the words as they entered the home. The feeling of belonging that he hadn't felt once in his life.

Like he was finally part of a family.

X

In his office at Beacon, Ozpin stood looking out the window at the view of Vale. Recent events had him thinking a lot about the present and future of the kingdom as well as his students.

Things certainly had taken very sudden turns in recent weeks, some he had been expecting while others would require more careful planning to handle. And with the Vytal festival quickly approaching, time was of the essence.

With Adrian's permission, he contacted General Ironwood and informed him of what the young soldier had told him.

To say the man was surprised that one of his best was still alive as a bit of an overstatement. James always had a strong feeling that Wraith was still alive, having seen the boy's skills since he was 13, he had faith that he managed to get through the events of his last mission with his life.

However, the rest of the information regarding the Fairport mission, and the discoveries that had been made along the way, made the General very tense.

Apparently there had always been animosity between the Atlatian military and the Armacham corporation. Rumors about illegal experimentation and weapon testing had been spreading for years, but given their ties to the Schnee Dust Company it was hard to garner any concrete evidence against them.

Knowing that not only Wraith was alive, but had been a witness as well as a victim to the ATC's corruption, the General believed they had a strong chance to finally put the corporation down. He was intending on meeting the young man and getting a full debrief of what had happened from him when he and his forces arrived for the festival in the next couple of weeks.

From what he had been told about Armacham, and the acts they committed along with their advanced weaponry, Ozpin grew worried about one of their men taking Roman Torchwick. If he was working with the ones truely pulling the strings against the kingdom, and Armacham was offering their aid, things were far worse than any of them first believed.

The headmaster blew out a slow breath, as much as action needed to be taken, he needed to wait for everyone to get to Beacon before any more steps could be taken. Picking up his cane, he turned to head to the elevator...but paused when he found someone standing in the middle of his office.

A little girl, no older than eight wearing a long red dress with a curtain of black hair covering her eyes.

Momentarily surprised about the sudden appearence, Ozpin set his cane before him and rest his hands upon it. Having been told in detail about this particulat person, he knew he had nothing to fear as long as he bid no harm toward her or her children.

"Alma Wade." he said casually to the powerful apparition, "I had a feeling you and I would meet."

The girl raised her head, her glowing eyes boring into the headmaster's. Searching and calculating.

Ozpin felt a presence push onto his mind and knew that she was digging through his thoughts, gauging him on whether or not he was a threat to her family. As much as he wanted to keep his secrets, both his achievements and his mistakes, to himself, he knew that fighting the intrusion would lead to his demise. So he allowed the vengeful mother see what she wanted.

In a matter of seconds she withdrew, _**"I will be watching..."**_ her voice seemed to echo from everywhere before she faded away in a burst of ashes. Ozpin remaining where he was as he watched the woman vanish completely, knowing then and there that this current year was turning out far more interesting than he had first believed.

But whether it was good or bad had yet to be determined...

X

Cinder and her followers arrived at the location that had been sent to her a week prior. Turning out to be an old storage facility on the outskirts of Vale that had been abandoned for years.

Emerald and Mercury were both on guard. After the last encounter with the unknown caller's forces and how they had gained the upperhand so quickly, they didn't want to take any chances.

Looking around at the many vantage points that worked against them, Cinder checked the time on her scroll as it finally reached the designated hour of the meeting. Right as the hour changed, all of the storage lockers around them opened, heavily armed soldiers stormed out and surrounded the trio, weapons drawn and aimed at their vital points as if daring them to make a wrong move.

Feeling her two followers prepare to attack, Cinder held up her hand, stopping them before they made a wrong choice as she looked at the last locker ahead of them that had yet to open.

When it did, she was greeted with the sight of an older woman in a dark-blue business suit. Flanked by a Phase Commander on either side as she strolled toward Cinder with calm, deliberate steps.

"Ms. Fall. I'm glad you agreed to our meeting." the woman said, putting her hands behind her back.

"You made a very compelling offer." replied Cinder, not at all threatened by the armed escort she had surrounding her and her followers. "But I believe you have us at a slight disadvantage..."

The woman nodded, "Indeed," she made a hand motion and all guns were lowered. "As I said in our phone conversation; I believe the two of us could greatly help one another with our goals, but a deal has to be made to ensure mutual cooperation."

"What sort of deal?" asked Cinder, curious.

"A very valuable asset has escaped our custody one too many times. My resources managed to track them to this city, and I full intend on reaquiring it" said the unknown woman, "However, me and my forces lack the proper layout of Vale. But you and yours have such data, but lack the numbers and resources needed to achieve your own goals."

The younger woman narrowed her glowing gaze, "What do you propose to fix these 'problems'?"

"Simple. I will offer you the resources and manpower needed to take this kingdom, in exchange, you and yours help us take back our missing asset...alive."

Cinder looked around her in thought, the armed soldiers looked more advanced and combat efficient compared to the White Fang, and looked to have a better chance of success in helping her in her plans. But the woman leading them, something about her put her on edge.

She was clearly one that got what she wanted, no matter the cost and no matter who she betrayed. She would have to keep a sharp eye on her incase of a double-cross, but for now, she couldn't pass up the chance for the additional help in her plans.

"You have a deal, Ms..." Cinder answered finally, trailing off waiting for an introduction to her new benefactor.

The woman smiled, a blade-like look resembling a predator. "Genevieve Aristide. And I believe this is the beginning of a wonderful partnership..."

TO BE CONTINUED

 **A/N: How's that for an ending. It will take some time before Volume 2 is ready to be posted, but when it does make its appearance you all will know it.**

 **Also, as promised, it is time to reveal my Co-Author for the Rogue series. And that person is** **macjack662.**

 **After the two of us messaged over the course of Volume 1, and bouncing an array of idea's back and forth, I decided to take him on in helping me bring the next parts of the story to life. And given that he has taken such a strong interest, I intend to give props that are truly deserved.**

 **So, ladies and gentlemen, macjack662 and I will bring the next arc of the Rogue together. So until then, this is Wraith002 signing off!**


End file.
